Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

As the member, I'm sure, would know, these are assumptions that Treasury put together in the budget to guide their assessment of the estimates that they prepare. That is not a policy statement nor is it a policy commitment of the government. It is a Treasury assumption that has been put in place, and it makes no reference to second doses; it only refers to doses. We expect the vaccination program that the government is rolling out in partnership with the states and territories to achieve some three million doses by the end of this week. The numbers in just yesterday show that states and territories, together with GPs around the country, are making strong progress each and every day, and more and more Australians are getting their vaccinations.

From next Monday, those aged over 50 will be able to go to their GP and receive their AstraZeneca vaccine. I encourage them to do that. Where we stand right now is that just over 10 per cent of the eligible adult population have received their first dose. Over 30 per cent, around a third, of those aged over 70 and about 80 per cent of aged-care facilities have had the first dose. The vaccination program will continue to roll out in coordination with the plan that we have agreed with the national cabinet members in partnership with the states and territories. We will be moving as quickly as possible based on the supply of vaccines. I commend the minister for health that we continue to access additional supplies of vaccines, particularly the Pfizer vaccine, and bring them forward as much as we can to ensure that those vaccines can be provided to the over-50 population.

The vaccination program will continue to roll out. Treasury have made their assumptions around the budget, and I refer members to those assumptions. I refer members to the government's policy statements in relation to the timing of the program.

See this speech in context