The vaccination program is picking up steam in Australia and could serve as a potential gateway for travel recovery.
Vaccine supply challenges can affect inoculation drive in the country. Australia is actively involved in developing fully functional travel bubble arrangements with Singapore.
The pandemic was nothing short of a roller coaster ride with lives thrown into oblivion while humanity grappled with finding the way out. Undoubtedly, the swift Morrison Government’s stimulus came as an interim lifesaver for many firms. Yet, the derailment of tourism operations continued to challenge the sustainability of travel businesses.
In the sticky spot, vaccination indeed has emerged as a practical solution, stealing a march on a plethora of rampant hypotheses woven around herd immunity and similar borderline theories.
Vaccines developed after rigorous testing and trials is not just a faint glimmer of hope but daybreak for many industries such as travel and tourism that have endured a full year of doom and gloom.
Given the backdrop, let us cast an eye over the inoculation program progress in Australia that is boosting the travel scenario.
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How is the vaccination program panning out in Australia?
Vaccination Progress
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and Oxford/Astrazeneca vaccine after meeting safety, quality, and efficacy standards.
The country’s inoculation program begun in late February, and over 0.164 million people have been vaccinated (as on 14 March 2021), indicated by figures from the Australian Government Department of Health.
Supply issues for vaccine
Australia is lagging the Federal Government’s initial target that aimed to administer vaccination doses to four million people by early April 2021. Significantly, the supply of vaccines remains a critical issue affecting the momentum of the vaccination drive.
Furthermore, Italy blocked the shipment of more than 250K doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
On the other hand, Biotech company CSL has been commissioned to manufacture 50 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses, reducing the reliance of vaccination program on imports.
ALSO READ: Australia warns against protectionism on Italy’s vaccine export block
Efficacy Concerns
Many European Union countries like Germany, France, and Italy have recently suspended the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after side effects were reported in those who have received the vaccine shots. The suspension raises a question regarding the efficacy of the vaccine and can affect Australia’s race against coronavirus.
However, the EU’s primary drug regulator, the European Medicine Authority (EMA), has underlined no indication of side-effects with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
How is Australia charting out travel recovery?
Fully opened interstate borders
Western Australia officially relaxing border restrictions with Victoria on 15 March 2021 came as a good tiding for Australian domestic tourism. Free travel throughout the country has been made possible after almost an entire year since interstate border restrictions were introduced in April 2020.
The elimination of quarantine requirements is expected to boost travel motivations among domestic travellers.
Travel bubble
Australia has formed a one-way travel bubble with New Zealand. Travellers from the Kiwiland do not have to quarantine. However, the country is awaiting the fully functional trans-Tasmanian travel bubble when Australians could be provided similar relaxations on entry into NZ.
Australia is also engaged in formulating travel arrangements with Singapore to build the bi-directional travel bubble for vaccinated travellers, thereby eliminating the requirement for quarantine.
Expectation for travel recovery by October
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has flagged prospects of reopening international borders by October this year. The update comes after Australia extended international travel bans for three months further through to 17 June 2021, earlier poised to end on 17 March 2021.
PM Morrison, however, indicated that the country is one track to recovery, with vaccination gateway expected to bolster the travel reboot plans. However, there is no certainty, and the border-opening decision would depend on several factors.
Travel developments are closing in on vaccine rollouts, with countries entertaining the ideas of vaccination passports and travel bubbles to commence international travel in the near time. Meanwhile, Australia has also geared up its efforts to make the most of vaccination potential to kickstart international travel.
Source: Kalkine Media
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