More than 74 per cent of adults in NSW have now had at least one dose of a vaccine, but it’s the 12 hotspot LGAs and the surrounding suburbs in Sydney’s west and southwest that are leading the state with the highest levels of vaccination. 85 per cent of adults in Blacktown, 82 per cent in Camden, and 81 per cent in Parramatta have now had at least one dose of vaccine, with the other LGAs all reaching above 70 per cent of first dose vaccination.
However, the premier highlighted that vaccination rates in other parts of the state were lagging behind and that the state would be implementing “targeted strategies in those communities”, once again adding that lockdown rules will only be eased for fully vaccinated people once 70 per cent of eligible adults have had both doses.
NSW has had the fastest vaccination rollout in the country, with more than 7.5 million doses in arms to date. However, as the state aims to reach the key target of 80 per cent of adults vaccinated, daily jabs have begun to plateau. From a record high of 139,914 doses administered on September 2, the daily rates have now fallen to just 48,051 jabs on September 6.
In part, the slowdown is being caused by the continuing scarcity of the Pfizer vaccine, although a vaccine swap agreement between the UK and Australia – as well as additional Pfizer doses acquired from Poland and Singapore –has secured more than a million doses for Australia in the past week. The Moderna vaccine is also due to arrive in Australia this month, and has been approved for distribution through pharmacies as well as vaccination hubs.
The chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said that booster shots will be a certainty in the future and that new variants that emerge may require new vaccines. “There will be recommendations and we’ll expect an ongoing level of vaccine coverage,” Chant said. “So really, the future is in our hands. If we have those incredibly high levels of coverage, in our population, and we have that engagement and easy access to booster doses, that will be a very better place for us to be in as we navigate Covid.”