SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia will seek support from the armed forces in its COVID-19 vaccination program, authorities said Wednesday, as it seeks to initiate a vaccination program that is behind schedule.
The Australian Defense Force (ADF) will provide assistance in rolling out vaccines for aged care residents in rural and regional areas that are not readily accessible to other medical providers, Acting Defense Secretary Marise Payne said.
The ADF teams are expected to start next week and will focus on planning, logistics and operational support.
“As we enter the next phase of the aged care vaccine roll-out and continue the expansion of teams, more nurses, pharmacists and health care providers are joining, with ADF vaccination teams complementing these efforts,” Health Secretary Greg Hunt said in a statement.
Australia began mass inoculations for its 25 million residents on Feb. 22 with primary care health workers and seniors getting the first shots, but missed its dosage target for the first week by nearly half.
Authorities were only able to administer just under 34,000 doses in the first week, government data found, as the rate of immunization drive slowed after two elderly people accidentally received four times the recommended dose.
However, Secretary Hunt said the country’s vaccination schedule is on track to complete by the end of October. More doses are expected to arrive in the country without delay and local production of the vaccine to begin within weeks.
With just under 29,000 COVID-19 cases and 909 deaths, Australia largely escaped the high numbers compared to other developed countries, aided by strict lockdowns, rapid tracking systems and border closures.
Australia on Tuesday extended the closure of its international borders by three months to June 17, after authorities believed the emergence of more virulent variants of the virus posed serious risks to public health.
It reports cases of zero or low single digit number in recent weeks.
Reporting by Renju Jose; Editing by Lincoln Feast.