Queenslanders under 60 are being discouraged from getting an AstraZeneca vaccine through a federal government-announced initiative, with authorities saying people should listen to state officials and “not the advice of Scott Morrison”. It comes as the state records three new local COVID-19 cases and the government says the unvaccinated hospital worker who sparked the state’s current lockdown caught the ...

By: Matthew Doran Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed a massive change to Australia’s coronavirus vaccination program, announcing anyone under the age of 40 can now approach their GP and request the AstraZeneca vaccine. Pfizer is the recommended vaccine for Australians under the age of 60, with states and territories now allowing people aged between 40 and 59 to book ...

By: Georgia Hitch Qantas will offer a range of perks to people who are vaccinated to encourage more people to get a COVID jab. The company flagged the idea last week, but CEO Alan Joyce has revealed more details of the plan, which will be launched in July. “We are putting in a discount for people who have had the vaccine,” he told ...

By: Tom McIlroy Melbourne’s spike in new COVID-19 cases is already driving bigger uptake of vaccines, with a record 15,816 doses delivered across Victoria in the 24 hours to Wednesday afternoon. A record for doses administered around the country – 104,658 jabs in 24 hours – was also achieved, as data collected by The Australian Financial Review showed about 2 per cent of ...

By: Jade McMillan Doctors are calling for a more effective communications strategy to convince people to get COVID-19 vaccines, warning Australians are “sitting ducks” until a much larger portion of the population is protected. Vice-president of the Australian Medical Association, Chris Moy, said he was worried too many Australians felt safe from the virus to the point where they were ...

By: Olivana Lathouris Prime Minister Scott Morrison has denied criticising the European Union over Australia’s shortfall of COVID-19 vaccines but maintained the government was expecting an extra 3.1 million doses it never received. “Any suggestion that I, in any way, made any criticism of the European Union yesterday would be completely incorrect,” Mr Morrison told reporters this morning. “I simply stated a fact – that 3.1 million ...

The Morrison government has hedged its bets further on the discovery of a coronavirus vaccine by investing in two more projects to secure another 50 million doses. As a result, Australia now has a stake in four vaccines with a combined total of 134 million dose, should any or all of them prove safe and effective. Prime Minister Scott Morrison ...