Vaccine to allow home quarantine

THE “sensible next step” in easing Australia’s international border restrictions would be to allow vaccinated Australians flying in from overseas to quarantine at home, Prime Minister Scott Morrison says.

One of the “key elements” of when that can happen is the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia, which has faced significant hurdles in the last week after the AstraZeneca jab was sidelined for those under 50 due to the rare occurrence of blood clots.

It comes as a group of experts from the Therapeutic Goods Administration were due to meet late on Friday to investigate whether the death of a 48-year-old diabetic woman in NSW from blood clots was linked to the coronavirus vaccination she received just days earlier.

It’s likely this will be discussed at Monday’s meeting of National Cabinet.

Chief medical officer Paul Kelly urged people against “jumping to conclusions” about whether the woman’s death was in any way linked to the AstraZeneca jab she had received late last week.

He said there had been some hesitancy after the federal government changed its health advice last week to state that Pfizer is the recommended vaccine for Australians aged under 50 due to rare blood clotting linked to the AstraZeneca jab.

Prof Kelly reiterated that the benefits of protection against COVID-19 still far outweighed the risk.

“We are in a very unusual situation here in Australia, with no community transmission and very few cases right throughout this year. That will not continue,” he said.

“We will at some point in the future ... have cases here.

“Please if you are in phase 1a or phase 1b … when you have the chance, please go and get your vaccine.”