PM says he can't guarantee all Australians will be vaccinated by end of the year
The federal government has not been able to guarantee that all Australians will be fully vaccinated by the end of the year.
Speaking to ABC News Breakfast this morning, Prime Minister Scott Morrison was asked whether he could guarantee that all Australians would get both doses by 31 December.
"No," Mr Morrison said. "There are assumptions that go to the rollout. They are not policy settings.
"We will see over-50s being able to go to GP clinics, all around the country, to our GPs. We will soon hit three million Australians vaccinated. We're already over 10 per cent of the adult population. That is eligible for the vaccination.
"Over 30 per cent for those aged over 70. We will continue to do everything we possibly can to ensure we're progressing that vaccination program."
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg likewise refused to give an end date.
"Obviously, our focus is to roll out the vaccine as fast as possible, and that assumption in the budget last night was based on the best medical violence from the Chief Medical Officer," he told the ABC in a subsequent interview. "And we've seen more than 400,000 people receive a dose over the course of the last week. That's up from the week before.
"Around 10 per cent of the population has already been vaccinated. Around 30 per cent of the population of those aged over 70. So we're getting more supply online. We've got around 5,000 contact points set around the country, including GPs and other state and territory based clinics. That is all designed to ensure that we get the vaccine out as fast as possible to as many people as possible."
"We're not seeking to eliminate the virus," he added. "You can't do that. It's stubborn, it's deadly, it is all around. What we can do, though, is manage those outbreaks effectively when they occur."