Some good news, for once: NSW now has one of the world’s fastest vaccination rates among major jurisdictions, according to analysis by the ABC.
If we look at the seven-day rolling average from last week, 1.4 vaccine doses were administered in NSW for every 100 people. For the whole of Australia, that figure is closer to 1.01 doses.
This puts NSW well ahead of the record-breaking weeks in the US (1 dose per 100 people back in April) and the UK (0.88 doses per 100 people in May).
It also puts NSW right behind some of the fastest-vaccinating countries in the world right now such as Ecuador (which averaged 1.56 doses per 100 people last week), Malaysia (which averaged 1.52 doses per 100 people last week), and South Korea (which averaged 1.48 doses per 100 people last week).
The highest seven-day rolling average vaccination rate achieved by a major country was in Israel back in January (2.14 doses per 100 people), but that rollout has been criticised because it includes settlers but excludes Arabs in occupied territories.
On Sunday, the NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced that the state clocked almost 50,000 doses per day.
The fact that the state is now finally among the fastest-vaccinating places in the world shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, then.
“I am pleased, very pleased, that the vaccination rate in NSW is now quite extraordinary,” he said at the press conference on Sunday.
“And I want to thank the residents of NSW for coming out in such great numbers to be vaccinated.
“I’m advised that NSW is now amongst the highest […] in the world in terms of vaccination rates, and that only happens when the citizens of NSW come forward to keep not only themselves and their families, but also the balance of the community in NSW safe.”
Gladys Berejiklian said that once we hit 70% or 80% statewide vaccine coverage, we’ll all get a little treat (which has yet to be announced).
Until then, we can at least reflect on the fact that Aussies are coming forward in unpreceded droves to get vaccinated despite the chaotic rollout.
All adult Aussies (yep, even if those of us under 40) are currently able to get the safe and effective AstraZeneca vaccine through a GP. Click here to see which clinics are offering it, and talk to a doctor to see if it’s right for you.
Alternatively, you can triple-check to see if you’re eligible for the Pfizer vaccine here.
The best vaccine is the first one you can get, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.
