Aussie to receive one of the first COVID-19 vaccinations

The landmark moment paved the way for the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to be rolled out across the country the following week.

Since then, nurses, doctors, and hospital officials all over the United Kingdom have been ramping up daily vaccinations.

For paramedic Ben Reading-Thompson the announcement was met with a mix of relief and disbelief.

Now in his third hard lockdown in London, the 24 year-old Canberran has recently been in contact with COVID-19 positive patients on a daily basis.

This week, Mr Reading-Thompson's colleagues began receiving the vaccine. While currently off work for a few days, his essential work means he'll be next in line after Christmas.

With no trepidation towards being one of the first, the vaccine may be his reward for having spent Christmas Day alone, since lockdown laws prevent inter-household mingling and his medic housemates were at work.

Mr Reading-Thompson said while the coronavirus case load seemed to be under control after April, in the last six weeks cases had increased exponentially.

"It's been a bit of a roller coaster to be honest," he said.

Emergency departments in London hospitals are currently divided between respiratory problems - the red zone - and non respiratory - the green zone.

The paramedics will deliver any potential COVID-19 case to the red zone.

"In the last two weeks with cases skyrocketing we are quite stretched with resources," Mr Reading-Thompson said.

The United States followed the UK in granting emergency approval to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, meaning stage three trials aren't complete, but the need is too great to delay.

Since approving Pfizer, vulnerable communities in the US have already begun receiving the Moderna vaccine.

While the Australian government has announced a plan for the distribution of a vaccine in the first quarter of 2021 has begun being developed, no date has been released.

Australia's acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly confirmed this week a vaccine would be rolled out in order of priority, with the elderly and those with underlying health issues first to receive the jab.

Mr Kelly said those with increased risk of exposure to the virus, such as health and aged care workers, would be second on the list, followed by those working in emergency services and essential workers.

READ ALSO:

Now in his third year in London, Mr Reading-Thompson said while it hasn't been the year abroad he'd expected - which was weekends away in Europe - he's not one of the thousands desperate to come home.

"The biggest kind of issue for me is that it's so unknown," he said. Every week in the news you read something different and think 'is Australia going to close its airports' and obviously with this northern beaches cluster it's looking like Sydney could be out.

"There's a bit of me that is thinking if I do want to get home will I have the option?"