The young Australians choosing to get the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
Cassie Long, 18, and her brother Calvin, 20, both got the AstraZeneca vaccine.(Supplied)
Thousands of Australians under 40 are pulling up their sleeves for AstraZeneca as the number of first-dose vaccinations more than triples in New South Wales.
Federal health figures provided to 7.30 show a huge surge since the federal health advice changed to encourage anyone over 18 in Greater Sydney to get any vaccine, including AstraZeneca.
First dose vaccinations of AstraZeneca among the under 40s in NSW have increased from 44,355 to 137,695 since July 24.
Second doses of AstraZeneca have increased a staggering 30-fold from 788 to 25,437 in the same period.
ATAGI says the benefit of AstraZeneca in Greater Sydney now outweighs the risk of any extremely rare side effects.
In Victoria, people under 40 can now get the AstraZeneca vaccine from selected mass vaccination hubs.
Cassie Long, 18, and her brother Calvin, 20, told 7.30 they had been waiting for Pfizer but the rising case numbers in Sydney changed their mind.
They also wanted to keep their grandmother, who lives in the family home with them, safe.
“Getting AstraZeneca as fast as possible is a big thing for us,” Mr Long added.
As much of Australia remains stuck on the lockdown merry-go-round, the Long siblings said increasing the vaccination rate would break the cycle.
“It’s meant to be the best years of our lives and we can’t go outside,” Ms Long said.
Mr Long described it as “a race to get out of lockdown”.
Both had reservations about AstraZeneca but were put at ease when their doctor talked through the extremely low risk of blood clots.
People in their 20s and 30s make up the largest number of cases in NSW, while the deaths of a 27-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman have highlighted the deadly truth of COVID.
Both young victims were otherwise healthy.
Not willing to wait for Pfizer
Chris Taylor, 34, lives in a COVID hot spot in south-west Sydney and recently received his first shot of AstraZeneca.
“The increasing number of cases and someone in their 30s actually dying as a result of COVID was the clinching decision to go ahead and get AstraZeneca,” Mr Taylor told 7.30.
While some under 40s have reported difficulties in accessing AstraZeneca, Mr Taylor said he found a local GP easily.
Mr Taylor is now waiting for his second shot of AstraZeneca.
“Young people need to be the focus of all the campaigns now to get people vaccinated,” Mr Taylor said.
As the outbreak in Queensland spreads, Brisbane couple Tristan Dunning, 37, and Laura Pederson, 34, are glad they have been vaccinated with AstraZeneca.
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“There seemed to be a lot of overblown rhetoric going round about AstraZeneca,” Mr Dunning told 7.30.
“There was no way I’d be able to get vaccinated with Pfizer for at least until the end of September.”
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Both said the latest outbreaks were a wake-up call to young Australians.
“Just because you’re young and healthy doesn’t mean you’re not going to see effects from it, and it’s something that everyone needs to take seriously,” Ms Pederson said.
Mr Dunning expressed frustration that some older Australians — who have been eligible for months — continued to be laid back about vaccination.
“I would hope that [the latest outbreaks] help shift us out of our complacency about this idea that we can just keep fortress Australia and be locked up and ride it out.”
ABC
