Vaccination rollout to make 'significant impact' in virus fight, PM says

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he will be receiving his coronavirus vaccine "very, very soon" and flagged the vaccination rollout should make a "significant impact" in combating the pandemic.

Mr Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian visited the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney this morning, one of the state's vaccine hubs, ahead of next week's rollout.

The prime minister said that he and Chief Health Officer Paul Kelly would receive the Pfizer vaccine soon.

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Mr Morrison said the vaccine rollout should make a "significant impact" in curbing the pandemic in Australia.

"I think it is a reasonable expectation that as time goes on, as the vaccination rolls out across the world and here in Australia, you should rightly expect that things will change and how we manage the virus," he said.

"I'm confident that as we move through the vaccination process, we can significantly change how things are down here in Australia."

But Mr Morrison said a vaccine passport for travellers remained some way off and depends largely on airlines.

"Once we get a greater understanding of everybody's systems that can give the airlines in particular... they can have confidence about what is being loaded up, who has had a vaccine, what vaccine they had."

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Mr Morrison also hinted that the initial vaccination of frontline health and quarantine workers will impact how state governments respond to virus clusters.

"The risk is going to change, it will go down with the vaccination, it will go down because of the improvement of practices," the prime minister said.

"So when the risk goes down, what does that mean for the other responses that states have been using up until this time?

"You only use a tool for as long as you need that tool. If you don't need the tool anymore, you put it back in the box. We are getting to that point on this and we are looking forward to that."

Ms Berejiklian confirmed frontline health workers in NSW will receive the vaccine from Monday.

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The premier also said she supported "incentives" for people in taking the vaccine.

She said they are a better policy to encourage people rather than penalties.

"I think that's a positive way to do it rather than penalise people who don't take the vaccine, I'd like incentives for people who do take the vaccine," she said.

Ms Berejiklian also said she understands the reluctance of some people about the jab.

"I know there are a minority in the community who don't feel it's good for the community but the vast majority of residents will welcome the vaccine's arrival and appreciate what it can do in our fight against COVID," she said

Ms Berejiklian said NSW Health officials were looking at giving vaccine priority to the families of hotel quarantine staff.