Vaccination against COVID-19 remains the best way to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19. There are also other important community benefits such as promoting herd immunity, which is the only way to protect those individuals who cannot have the vaccine. Developing sufficient herd immunity will also reduce the development of variants.
The risk of potential outbreaks of COVID-19 is ever-present. The Australian population remains largely unimmunised and susceptible to COVID-19 risks.
Recent reports indicate the relative effectiveness of the AstraZeneca vaccine against symptomatic infection is up to 90% after two doses spaced 12 weeks apart. These emerging reports also suggest those who have received the AstraZeneca vaccine are less likely to transmit the virus to others. In addition, the likelihood of adverse reactions to AstraZeneca remains very low.
