ACT could reach 70 per cent COVID-19 vaccination by November: Chief Minister Andrew Barr

More than 17,000 people in the 30-39 age group flooded the Covid vaccination line on Tuesday, causing delays as the system tried to cope with more than three-times the demand of the previous single-day record.

Mr Barr said the capital was on track to vaccinate 70 per cent of the population by early November, declaring: "It's a race Canberrans can win."

Pfizer doses at government-run hubs have been booked out until mid September and 50 per cent of Canberrans have already received their first vaccine dose.

Asked if Canberra could be the first to reach the federal government target of 70 per cent, which will trigger easing of restrictions and lockdowns, Mr Barr said: I think we will get there ahead of most other states and territories.

"It is a race, I think it's a race that Canberran can win. It's the right thing to do, not only for yourself, but for your family and the broader community."

Mr Barr said Canberra's projections aligned with federal government targets of 70 per cent by early November and 80 per cent by the start of summer.

"We can get to at least 70 per cent in the early part of the summer, again based on the available supply of the Pfizer vaccine," Mr Barr said.

"If 16 to 29-year-olds show the same enthusiasm as the 30 to 39-year-olds have ... I think we'll be well placed.

"What we do need to see though is some of the other age groups continue a steady stream of vaccination."

The ACT government, however, is reluctant to say whether residents will need proof of their vaccine to attend large events in Canberra next year.

"There do need to be benefits for being vaccinated. The principle benefit is that you won't find yourself in intensive care in a hospital. That's a pretty strong incentive for most people," Mr Barr said

"The vaccines provide the only protection against severe disease, hospitalisation, intensive care and death [from COVID-19]."

Half of adults in the ACT have now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while more than a quarter of adults in Canberra will have been fully vaccinated by the end of the week.

Mr Barr said a plan put forward by Labor leader Anthony Albanese to incentivise Australians to get the jab with a $300 payment was a "good idea to be talking about" but suggested other options could be looked at.

"As a country we're going to have to look at some of those incentives, you probably cause less angst if you make some sort of incentive available for everyone, rather than just the hesitant group," he said.

The government had invited 30 to 39 year olds to pre-register for their jab two weeks ago in an attempt to streamline the process and avoid lengthy delays for the booking system.

But some have reported being unable to book their appointment, despite responding to a message they received just hours after the age group became eligible.

One ACT resident said he received a text message inviting him to book at 7.21am and was told the queue was full at 7.36am.

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"To help you book, we limit the number of people who can book appointments at the same time. The queue is full. Check back later," ACT government wrote.

Thirty somethings reported demand being so high on Tuesday that the first available appointment was pushed weeks back with just a few minutes hesitation.

"I was clicking on appointments and they became unavailable if I didn't confirm quickly enough," one 31-year-old shared to social media.

"Pretty awesome to see Canberra folk jump on this like Taylor Swift is in town."

The government's booking system has struggled to cope with demand when opening up to different age groups, with almost every stage reporting problems.

The vaccine rollout is set to expand with pharmacies due to join with AstraZeneca in the coming weeks while Pfizer has been approved for children aged 12 to 15 with underlying health conditions.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said bookings would be made available to that cohort as they became eligible from next week.

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