The COVID-19 Pandemic has been global in its reach and infected millions of people.  While its health and economic impacts have been devastating, the global cooperation that we have witnessed among scientists and clinicians has been extraordinary. 
 
The process does not stop at identifying an efficacious vaccine. We still have to ensure that there is acceptance of the vaccine by the community, which will involve the active engagement and dissemination of evidence based information. This process needs to start now and continue through the rollout process. The barriers to community acceptance of the vaccine include lack of evidence based information, inconsistent messaging that is not adequately explained, lack of trust in government, media and large organisations. The vaccine will initially be rolled out to high risk groups which will include aged care residents and staff, healthcare workers in hospital and in the community and quarantine hotel workers. 
 
The responsibility for administration of the vaccine fell on a mix of Federal and State jurisdictions. Vaccination delivery and uptake were initially slow but have picked up significantly since July and August, 2021.
 
Although a vaccine will not be the panacea for COVID-19, it would make a significant contribution to our ability to control the spread of this virus.  It will take time to ensure adequate coverage of the population, and in the meantime other public health measures such as hand washing and physical distancing, will still be necessary.
 
We align with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) statements on COVID-19 vaccination [Link] and the Aotearoa New Zealand Ministry of Health statements on COVID-19 vaccines [Link].
 
We recommend that the COVID vaccine be made widely available, with prioritisation of vulnerable patient groups and healthcare workers, and then to the wider population as vaccination is the one of the best public health solutions to overcome the scourge of the COVID-19 Pandemic. 
 
We recommend that a COVID vaccine booster be given to frontline workers when immunity wanes, as advocated by the Centers for Disease Control.
 
We advocate for consistent public health messaging which ensures community engagement and addresses barriers to uptake.
 
We advocate for opportunistic vaccinations to be given in ED to our vulnerable populations when they present to ED, as they might not be able to access the vaccine in a timely manner. (Policy on Immunisation)

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