Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Health
More than 63 per cent of eligible Tasmanians have now received a first COVID-19 vaccination, meeting the Tasmanian Government's vaccination blitz target ahead of schedule.
Announced as part of Operation Delta Shield on 13 August, the super six-week vaccination campaign had aimed to reach this target by mid-September, but we have passed it ahead of time, thanks to record vaccination rates over the last few weeks.
With more than 120,000 doses administered since the start of the campaign, Tasmania continues to track well against other states and territories. Almost 64 per cent of eligible Tasmanians have received their first jab and more than 46 per cent are fully vaccinated, compared to a national average of 39.7 per cent fully vaccinated.
The proportion of Tasmanians aged 30 to 59 with a first dose of the vaccine – one of the key targets of the vaccination blitz – has also been boosted from 49 per cent to more than 61 per cent.
Pleasingly, the proportion of Tasmanians over the age of 70 with a first dose of the vaccine has also exceeded 90 per cent.
The vaccination rollout has gathered pace to reach record levels during the campaign thanks to the continued expansion of both state-run community clinics and in primary care settings.
In community clinics, the first four weeks of the vaccination blitz saw the start of the Schools Vaccination Program at Elizabeth College, Claremont College and Hobart College, as well as a record Super Clinic at Hobart's Macq-02 and specialised clinics for Tasmania's culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
The program has also seen 69 community pharmacies come online to provide Tasmanians with an additional vaccination option.
The pace is set to continue over the remaining weeks of the blitz with Super Clinics in Burnie this weekend and Launceston on 25-26 September, as well as a Super Sunday Clinic at PW1 in Hobart this weekend.
The rollout will also continue to ramp up for young Tasmanians as 12 to 15-year-olds become eligible from Monday 13 September, the school program visits schools and colleges in the North and North-West from next week, and a series of Youth Clinics for 12 to 17-year-olds will be held across the state in October.
What an exceptional effort this has been, from Tasmanians who have made a booking and rolled up their sleeve, and from the hardworking staff making this monumental public health effort possible.
We have tens of thousands more people booked into appointments in the coming weeks, and we must keep this momentum going. Don't wait. Vaccinate.
