The Prime Minister has penned a message to Australians aged over 60 urging them to get the AstraZeneca vaccine now or end up at the back of the Pfizer queue.

The letter will be sent to more than 500,000 people who are yet to get a jab and is signed by Scott Morrison, Health Minister Greg Hunt and Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly.

It comes amid fears unvaccinated older Australians, who are more vulnerable to COVID-19, will be sitting ducks when restrictions ease, borders reopen and the nation starts to “live with” the virus.

“The expert health advice is very clear, people over 60 have a greatly increased risk of getting severe disease with COVID-19 and must be vaccinated as soon as possible,” the letter reads.

“The recent outbreaks of the new more infectious strains of the COVID-19 virus, with some tragic deaths in Sydney, make it even more important that Australians over 60 get vaccinated now.”

Around 18 per cent of people aged over 60 are yet to have a first dose of a vaccine, despite being eligible for months.

It’s understood many people are “waiting” for large shipments of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are scheduled to flood into the country in the tail end of this year.

However, those millions of doses are expected to be prioritised for people aged between 12 and 39.

It will be some time before there will be excess mRNA so older people choosing not to be vaccinated with AZ get a free ticket in the covid lottery. Maybe Novavax might become available but, for now, it is accepted that everybody bar hermits will likely be exposed to the virus in the months after we hit double dose 80%.

LOL have been saying this for some weeks, he put all his eggs in once basket and now he has so much of the Astraz it appears he needs to get it used fast as it probably has a used by date.

I believe the Prime Minister should fall on his sword and go away, he's as useful as Malcolm Turnbull. Ever since his disgraceful handshaking event in the Victorian fires, he's totally lost me. Regrettably the alternative, The Labour Party, is really not an option. Perhaps Donald Trump can come and save it to knows, help, the Australian people need help, not these idiots. Jacka.

They originally said we had to get the jab first as we are the most vulnerable age group, but didn't insist the staff in the nursing homes had priority or made it a necessity when they were the ones bringing in the disease, remember family weren't allowed to visit...

Now there is a choice of vaccines for everyone but the older age group I believe we were always used as guinea pigs that were expendable, hence the refusal to allow us a choice..

They will never learn to 'live with it'...if that was the case those already vaccinated would be allowed out...& the goal posts just keep moving...

Most of the people that post here are ignorant thinking that the Astra Zenica Vaccine is inferior, all my family and all my friends and I are fully vaccinated with Astra Zenica, I did have a slight reaction to the first dose but it was gone after 1 day but I know it was working, second dose no reaction at all, so I do not know why people here are against this vaccine it is going to stop you getting the virus so bad that you have to go to Hospital and be on a machine to help you breath and some cases die, If you can read then you can see by the people that are in hospital are all not fully vaccinated.

I'm vaccinated and, no, I don't know what's in it - neither this vaccine, the ones I had as a child, nor in the Big Mac, or in hot dogs, or in other treatments…whether it's for cancer, AIDS, the one for polyarthritis, or vaccines for infants or children. I trust my doctor when he says it’s needed.I also don't know what's in Ibuprofen, Tylenol, or other meds, it just cures my headaches & my pains ...I don't know what's in the ink for tattoos, or every ingredient in my soap or shampoo or even deodorants. I don’t know the long term effect of cell phone use or whether or not that restaurant I just ate at REALLY used clean foods and washed their hands.In short ...There's a lot of things I don't know and never will…I just know one thing: life is short, very short, and I still want to do something other than just going to work every day or staying locked in my home. I still want to travel and hug people without fear and find a little feeling of life "before".As a child and as an adult I've been vaccinated for mumps, measles, rubella, polio, chicken pox, and quite a few others; my parents and I trusted the science and never had to suffer through or transmit any of said diseases ... just saying.You are not vaccinated, I respect your choice,I am vaccinated, respect my choice ...I'm vaccinated, not to please the government but:* To not die from Covid-19.* To NOT clutter a hospital bed if I get sick.* To hug my loved ones* To Not have to do PCR or antigenic tests to go out dancing, go to a restaurant, go on holidays and many more things to come ...* To live my life.* To have my kids/grandkids go back to school and play sports.* For Covid-19 to be an old memory.* To protect us.Text copied, you can too.

ABC

I'm not old enough to retire , I'm  too old for the Pfizer VAX even with a family history of clotting, ( yet politicians can get it regardless of their age just to go to a sports meeting.).  I'm  a carer not a worker so I don't qualify for any of the perks workers get ( in the caring industry).   why should politicians be the only ones able to screw up as much as they please and still have job security?? 

We can only hope that Morrison the Praying Minister gets the boot but knowing many voters can't see though the BS and 2nd rate leadership they will blindly vote him and his 3rd rate government back in.  

I have had 2 lots of Astra Zenika and my family have had the Phizer but so many people still don't believe this virus is real, won't wear masks and won't get vaccinated, they will cause a lot of problems in work places I would think, also if we have a vaccination passport to go to sports, shows, dining etc I think there will be demonstrations against the passport amongst the non believers, could get nasty.

I'm not qualified to advise anyone as to the better of the two vaccines available at present so when we had our two jabs of AstraZenica, we relied on expert medical opinion. Now I am going to get qualified, thanks to facebook, and then I'll let people know all about vaccines and their effectiveness.

Suze, we are borrowing those 4 million doses pf pfizer, we have to give them back to the uk in November  (nice new long use by doses)