First Queenslanders receive COVID-19 jab, but when will you get yours?

The people most at risk of spreading the virus – health workers and quarantine employees – will be vaccinated first, as well as aged-care staff and residents.

About 88,000 Queenslanders are in “Phase 1a” of the rollout, and they’re expected to receive the Pfizer jab over the next six to eight weeks at dedicated hubs.

Once these people have been vaccinated, the risk of sudden interstate border closures and snap lockdowns will dramatically reduce, said Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young.

She said the vaccine would begin to be rolled out to the broader population once frontline workers received the jab.

“No one needs to do anything today in terms of getting vaccinated,” Dr Young said earlier this week.

“We will be approaching those people who we really believe need to be vaccinated to protect themselves from getting it because they’re being exposed, and to protect the rest of the community.”

Next up is Phase 1b, which will include all other health workers, Queenslanders aged over 70, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 55, and younger people with an underlying medical condition.

Critical and high-risk workers, including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat-processing employees, will also be vaccinated in this phase.

Mostly the AstraZeneca-Oxford University and some Pfizer vaccines will be given to people in Phase 1b.

The AstraZeneca vaccine will start to be administered by the end of March. An initial 3.8 million doses will be imported from overseas and another 50 million will be manufactured in Victoria.

The vaccine will next be available to all adults aged over 50, the rest of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, and other critical and high-risk workers, under Phase 2a.

Remaining residents older than 16 will be jabbed by the end of October.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has urged the general public not to turn up to a GP, pharmacy or hospital to receive the vaccine until the rollout ramps up in late March.

The AstraZeneca vaccine comes in two doses to be given 12 weeks apart. The Pfizer vaccine also requires two doses, 21 days apart.

No new COVID-19 cases were detected in Queensland on Sunday after 5085 tests were conducted.