Earlier today, the Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt announced free access to COVID‑19 vaccines to all visa-holders in Australia, which means international students and temporary visa holders will also be eligible for the free vaccine.
The number of international student visa holders inside Australia at the end of 2020 was around 385,000.
Moreover, the vaccine program will also include refugees, asylum seekers, temporary protection visa holders and those on bridging visas. People currently residing in detention facilities will also be eligible, including those whose visas have been cancelled.
“Ensuring that safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines are available to everyone in Australia is a key priority for our Government,” a spokesperson for the Minister said.
The rollout and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines will occur in line with Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine National Rollout Strategy and Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. The priority population in phase 1a is quarantine and border workers, frontline healthcare workers and disability and aged care staff and residents. This includes all residents and staff of residential aged care and disability care facilities.
Great to virtually address the CALD Community Leaders Roundtable yesterday from Parliament House.
Making safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines available to everyone in Australia is a key priority for the Australian Government. pic.twitter.com/1cW2dTB2Jz
— Greg Hunt (@GregHuntMP) February 4, 2021
Additionally, the Australian Government’s $31 million public information campaign to encourage Australians to get a COVID-19 vaccine began on Wednesday 27 January.
The campaign aims at keeping Australians fully informed and up to date about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines as they become available, including when, how and where to get the vaccination.
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