The Department of Health has launched a public information campaign encouraging Australians to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Department said the campaign would keep the public fully informed and up to date about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines as they became available, including when, how and where to get the jab.
“This follows Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for the Pfizer vaccine,” the Department said.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said that from the start of the pandemic, the Department had been a trusted source of information for the community.
“The new vaccine campaign will build on this, providing timely, transparent and credible information to all Australians,” Mr Hunt said.
He said the campaign would be in three phases.
First would be a reaffirmation that COVID-19 vaccines had been put through Australia’s world-leading independent approvals process, ensuring both the safety and efficacy of vaccine candidates.
This would be followed by the provision of information on how the vaccine would be rolled out, particularly to priority groups, and dosage requirements.
Finally people would be informed about how and where to get vaccinated, the dosage requirements, and support for the vaccine uptake.
“The information in this campaign, based on expert, and independent, medical advice, will help answer the questions people may have,” Mr Hunt said.
“The campaign will run across a variety of mediums, including television, radio, press, digital, social, mobile, search and out of home.”
He noted that Australia was a vaccination nation — “we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world” he said.
“Australians understand that vaccines work. They save lives. They improve lives. They protect lives,” the Minister said.
