Canberra coronavirus: People under 30 biggest cohort to receive AstraZeneca vaccine

More than 3200 AstraZeneca doses were provided in the ACT last week and already more than half that number were administered on Monday and Tuesday of this week alone.

People aged 25 to 29 made up the biggest cohort to receive the jab last week, with 606 doses.

That is set to be surpassed with another 410 doses provided to that age group on Monday and Tuesday of this week.

Canberrans aged 20 to 24 are also turning up in big numbers with 545 doses last week and 370 doses at the start of this week.

It's a major increase from the week of August 2, when 167 people aged 20 to 24 were vaccinated and 249 people aged 25 to 29.

People aged 60 to 64 are the third biggest cohort to receive the jab, with 412 last week and 424 the week prior.

Eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine, which is the recommended choice for people under 60, will be expanded to all Australians above the age 16 at the end of the month.

Australia has now passed the halfway mark with 50 per cent of the eligible population protected with one dose of vaccine. About 28 per cent are fully immunised.

The territory remains a leader in first dose coverage, with 56.4 per cent, while 32.5 per cent of the eligible population are fully vaccinated.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr issued a stern warning to Canberrans on Thursday, while calling for people to attend their vaccine appointments, unless they were in quarantine or feeling unwell.

"We either stop this virus now, or we live like Sydney for the rest of this year," he said.

"They are the choices that we face."

Young people have been vulnerable to Canberra's outbreak of the Delta strain, with 43 per cent of cases in people under 17 and 46 per cent in people aged 18 to 44.

A packed nightclub and several primary and high schools are among more than 240 exposure sites.

The jump in people in their 20s getting the AstraZeneca vaccine has aligned with almost 40 pharmacies joining the rollout.

Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith on Tuesday announced doctors and pharmacists had called for more AstraZeneca supply to meet the booming demand.

About 700 AstraZeneca doses were provided on Monday alone.

Fifteen pharmacies and nine general practices requested more doses with an extra 10,000 due to land in the territory.

"We do recognise for younger people it is a time of high anxiety," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

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"We know that the Delta strain affects younger people more than the original strain of the novel coronavirus ... and it is making younger people sicker than other strains."

Ms Stephen-Smith encouraged young people to discuss with a doctor or pharmacist if AstraZeneca was right for them.

Australia's expert group on immunisation had advised Pfizer is the preferred vaccine for people under 60 because of the risk of a rare, but serious, blood clotting syndrome.

Young people can access AstraZeneca from 80 general practices and 37 pharmacies, but must have a conversation about the benefits and risks and provide informed consent.

"We are seeing Canberrans enthusiastic about getting vaccinated," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

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