Doctors have questioned whether the Morrison government’s October deadline for getting the entire population vaccinated against COVID-19 is too ambitious.
AMA President Omar Khorshid said just doing the simple math it would be hard to get everybody through their two doses, three months apart by then.
However, he said at the end of the day Australia had no reason to rush.
“We’ve done an extraordinary job here in Australia protecting our population,” he said on Sunday.
“Our borders will remain shut until the government feels it’s safe to open them. That means we can roll this vaccination program out carefully at the appropriate pace.”
More than 4500 general practice clinics will participate in the next phase of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Dr Khorshid said no sector was better equipped to administer the vaccines than GP clinics and that would allow people to get their COVID-19 jab close to home.
Former Labor prime minister Julia Gillard was among one of the first Australians to get the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday.
She joined Health Minister Greg Hunt and Department of Health secretary Brendan Murphy – formerly the chief medical officer – at a Melbourne clinic.
Two weeks earlier Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly were among the first to be vaccinated with the Pfizer jab.
Ms Gillard wanted to show unity with the Morrison government in urging everyone to get the vaccine when it is their turn.
“Me being here today is a visible representation that no matter what side of politics you barrack for, no matter whom you intend to vote for, there is a united message,” Ms Gillard told reporters.
The government has put more than $6 billion towards Australia’s coronavirus vaccine rollout, with contracts for more than 150 million doses in total and one third to be made by pharmaceutical giant CSL in Victoria.
AstraZeneca and Pfizer doses from overseas are being given to frontline health and hotel quarantine workers, as well as aged and disability care residents and staff, as part of phase 1a.
Elderly Australians and those with underlying conditions will be the first priority when phase 1b begins on March 22, with more than 1000 GP clinics initially involved and a rapid scale-up planned in subsequent weeks.
The home-made doses are expected to be available in time for phase 1b.
Mr Hunt said over 81,000 Australians had been vaccinated so far.
Australia enjoyed its 37th day without a locally transmitted COVID-19 case on Sunday.
However, NSW did report two new cases in hotel quarantine, while Queensland reported one and the ACT two.
South Australia reported a positive test in wastewater sampling.
