Canberra makes more than 30,000 extra COVID vaccine appointments available

The extra bookings have been made available in the MyDHR booking system to match a boost in Pfizer vaccine supply.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said people with existing bookings would now be able to get vaccinated faster.

"The next eight weeks is a race to get as many Canberrans vaccinated as possible," the Chief Minister said.

"The additional supply of Pfizer in both ACT government clinics and across the primary health network will help us achieve our goal of getting more than 85 per cent of the ACT population over the age of 12 vaccinated."

Extra Pfizer bookings from Friday followed a milestone for Canberra this week with more than 50 per cent of the population aged 16 or over now fully vaccinated.

The ACT is the first jurisdiction in Australia to reach this milestone.

The announcement came as the ACT reported 24 new cases of coronavirus, with 15 people in hospital. Of those currently in hospital, 11 are unvaccinated and three have had one dose.

Mr Barr said the new Pfizer appointments were anticipated to speed up the vaccine program by about two weeks.

"For many people over 18 years old the fastest way to get vaccinated is still to talk to a health professional about getting the AstraZeneca vaccine," he said.

READ MORE COVID-19 NEWS:

ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said participating GPs and pharmacies in the ACT were also expected to receive increased Pfizer supply.

"People can use the Commonwealth's eligibility checker to find participating GPs and pharmacies in the ACT," Ms Stephen-Smith said.

"I understand a lot of people will be keen to get an earlier appointment and this will likely create high demand on both our online and phone systems, so please be patient and respectful to our staff.

"People moving their vaccine bookings forward will have a domino effect as their previous booking becomes available and this should allow most people to be able to get an earlier booking, noting that this is likely to take several days to work through."

The ACT is on track to reach the 75 per cent first dose milestone for the aged 16 or over, and 70 per cent of Canberrans aged 12 years and over have had their first vaccine.

The Chief Minister said it was important to remember that it took about two weeks for the vaccine to reach its full effectiveness.

"When we talk about milestones and figures, we are looking at the 12 plus population two weeks after we cross the headline thresholds," Mr Barr said.

"The vaccines are not at full effectiveness until two weeks after you've had your job."

For more information on who is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and how to book an appointment: covid19.act.gov.au/vaccine

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: