Why millions of Australians will have to wait MONTHS to get a Covid-19 vaccine putting us well behind the rest of the world - and it could bring a brutal end to ANY 2021 holiday plans

Millions of Australians face lengthy delays to receive the coronavirus vaccine and could be forced to put overseas travel plans on hold until the end of the year.

The federal government has fast-tracked its vaccination roll-out by several weeks to begin in early March, but it could hit its first major hurdle within weeks.

Health experts fear the roll-out could be suspended or slowed down in its early stages due to a clash with flu vaccinations in the lead up to winter. 

Jetsetting Australians desperate to pack their bags for a long overdue holiday overseas have been warned to delay travel plans until the second half of the year.

The varying effectiveness of the different vaccines the federal government has ordered could also cause a dilemma and make the possibility of a 'vaccine passport' unfeasible.

Australians may have to wait until the end of the year to travel overseas again, despite the federal government fast-tracking its coronavirus vaccine roll-out. Pictured is a woman enjoying the sights of the Philippines

Coronavirus vaccines have already been rolled in almost 40 countries. Pictured is a patient being jabbed with the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine in South Wales this week

Immunisation Coalition chief executive Kim Sampson doesn't believe the convenience of receiving the coronavirus and flu vaccines at the same time is do-able - and said non-urgent cases are likely to have to wait.

'I doubt whether we would be wanting to have both vaccines pushed out at the same,' he told The Australian.

'There are still a lot of unknowns there … but the one thing we do know is that people have to be vaccinated against influenza and there is a finite period of time in which to do that in April-May. So it would seem to me let's get that out of the way first.'

It could mean millions of healthy, young Australians are denied the vaccine until later in the year, with the first doses in March going to the vulnerable and those in aged care.

Australia had hoped to reopen its international borders with a 'vaccine passport', where travellers would be required to be jabbed before leaving or arriving in the country.

A woman is seen at Sydney domestic airport on December 21. While some domestic travel is back in Australia, all foreign travel is still off limits after borders were shut on March 20, 2020

Airline Qantas recently announced the vaccine will be part of passenger conditions when Australia's borders reopen, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said travellers without a vaccine will be forced to quarantine for two weeks.

But health experts warn the program will only work with vaccines able to stop asymptomatic people from infecting others, not those that simply stop you from becoming ill.

'It still means you can pick up the infection overseas - maybe even some mutant strain - come back into the country and spread it everywhere,' University of NSW Professor Raina MacIntyre told the Sydney Morning Herald.

'While you yourself are not going to end up in hospital you can set off a massive outbreak.'

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have 94 per cent efficiency rates at stopping asymptomatic infection, while the AstraZeneca vaccine, which will be the second one rolled out in Australia, is only 62 per cent effective. 

Australia hasn't purchased a single vial of Moderna, and just 10 million from Pfizer.

Instead, it has put in 51 million orders for American vaccine Novavax, which isn't ready yet, and 53.8 million of the AstraZeneca jab - which is less effective at stopping transmission.

University of Melbourne epidemiologist Tony Blakely believes travellers arriving from overseas will still need to spend two weeks in quarantine well into the second half of 2021.

Australians have been urged to put travel plans on hold until the second half of the year as they may face lengthy delays to be vaccinated. Pictured are young women on holidays

A coronavirus jab is being considered as a 'passport' for travellers  hoping to head overseas again. Pictured is a woman receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Poland

'Quarantine-free travel with those countries such as the UK and is going to be highly unlikely to happen by July,' he warned.

Qantas is already selling seats on international flights for July 2021 on routes to the coronavirus-riddled United Kingdom and the United States, as well as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan.

The American and UK routes were previously off the cards until at least October 2021. 

With the vaccine roll-out still another two months away, Australia is already behind.

More than 13 million people from almost 40 countries have already rolled up their sleeves for the coronavirus vaccine.

WHICH VACCINES HAS AUSTRALIA SECURED? 

Pfizer:

Due to arrive early 2021, but is already being rolled out in the UK and has been approved for us in Canada.

Australia secured a deal for 10 million doses, if it proves safe and effective and is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

Each person would need two doses, meaning Australia's initial order would only cover five million Australians.

Novavax:

Australia has ordered 40 million doses but it is still in the trial phase.

An extra 11 million doses were ordered after the University of Queensland's efforts fell at the wayside, taking the total to 51 million. 

AstraZeneca/University of Oxford:

There have been 33.8 million doses secured for Australia. It is still in the trial phase. 20 million more doses have now been ordered, taking the total to 53.8 million.

3.8 million of those doses will be delivered in early 2021. 

University of Queensland:

Australia had ordered 51 million doses. However, the deal has been scrapped after trial participants returned false positive results for HIV.

The scheme is estimated to be 12 times slower than its US counterpart and six times slower than the UK version.

Federal health minister Greg Hunt hasn't ruled out 'further steps' to fast-track the program.

'We've been able to bring our vaccination commencement schedule forward from the middle of the year to the second quarter, to late March and now to early March. And I'm not ruling out further steps,' he told 2GB on Wednesday.

'But what I am saying is that there's a group — Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Taiwan — different jurisdictions that are arguably among the most successful countries in combating the virus. All are committed to an expedited assessment process, safety process, but a full safety assessment process.

The varying effectiveness of the different jabs could make a 'vaccine passport' as a way to reopen the international borders as unfeasible. Pictured are travellers at Sydney Airport

'And all of those countries are, in terms of Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Australia and the jurisdiction of Taiwan, they're all looking at a very similar timeframe. So it puts us in the group of countries that have been highly successful but are absolutely thorough.' 

Australia will be among the first countries to conditionally approve the Pfizer vaccine. 

As data and regulatory guidance have been provided we have progressively been able to bring forward our provisional rollout from mid-year to the second quarter to late March and now early March,' Mr Hunt said. 

Mr Morrison has called a special national cabinet meeting of state and territory leaders and chief ministers this Friday to discuss new protocols for overseas travellers, as well as the vaccine roll-out. 

Australia shut its international borders on March 20, banning everyone except Australian citizens or permanent residents from entering without very rare exceptions.

They are then ordered into 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine, which experts say has saved the country from the horrific outbreaks seen overseas. 

Federal health minister Greg Hunt hasn't ruled out 'further steps' to fast-track the vaccination program before Australia reopens its international borders. Pictured are passengers boarding a flight in Melbourne

 Australia will begin coronavirus vaccine rollout early but with the jab to be approved in weeks, why are we waiting until MARCH when other countries will already have finished?

By Kelsey Wilkie 

Health Minister Greg Hunt has revealed the government's ambitious plan to have every Australian vaccinated against Covid by October

Health Minister Greg Hunt has brought forward the government's ambitious plan to have every Australian vaccinated against Covid by October.

The campaign, which will begin with the Pfizer jab, is expected to start to be rolled out in early March - a few weeks before the government originally planned. 

Elderly in residential aged care, health, hotel quarantine and border workers will take priority.

However, the government has been slammed for its slow vaccine rollout, with questions raised over why Australia is being far slower than other countries. 

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine already has been ­approved for use in several countries..

The Australian Government it is waiting on the Therapeutic Goods Administration to grant provisional registration, which is expected by the end of the month.

However, unlike Britain, the US, and other countries that started injections days after approval, Australia still doesn't plan to vaccinate anyone until March. 

By the time Australians start to receive the vaccination, Israel will have almost vaccinated its entire population. 

But Mr Hunt has backed the government's approach, saying it is better to be cautious.

The Pfizer /BioNTech vaccine already has been ­approved for use in several countries. But the Australian government it is still waiting on the Therapeutic Goods Administration to grant provisional registration

The federal government has supply contracts with three vaccine developers and the Therapeutic Goods Administration is working on approvals

He said the government continues to ­review the medical advice surrounding each vaccine.

'In the same way that ­advice has allowed us to bring forward the time from the first half of the year to late March and now early March we will be guided by the medical advice,' he told the Daily Telegraph.

'Not to do so would be ­utterly irresponsible and would risk the health of ­Australians.'

Australia will be one of the first countries to grant a general ­approval for the Pfizer vaccine. All other countries have issued emergency approvals for the vaccine. 

Labor leader Anthony Albanese has joined the calls to roll out the vaccine sooner. 

'It makes no sense for the TGA to have recommended, as it is likely to do, in January, the approval of the Pfizer vaccine, but then for the rollout to not occur until March,' he told The Australian. 

'What we know is that Australia is not at the front of the queue. We have never been at the front of the queue. And that's why Labor argued very early on that we needed to get these deals signed, that we needed to get six deals signed, which is intentional best practice.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is being made in Melbourne by CSL but a delay in delivering essential data to the Government means the vaccine may not be ready for the public by March as expected (Pictured: A man in Scotland getting the vaccine)

AstraZeneca, which is being made in Melbourne by CSL, won't be granted provisional registration by the Therapeutic Goods Administration until next month

'And the fact is that other ­nations got to the front of the queue way back in March of last year and Australia isn't at that point yet.'

Prime Minister Scott Morrison fired back, saying it was dangerous to fast-track the vaccine before imported batches are tested. 

'These suggestions that I've heard about trying to rush the process I think can be very dangerous. We should let the health officials do their jobs here,' he told 3AW.

'I mean, I don't think Australians would want us to just willy-nilly to be sending out vials of vaccine that haven't had their batches tested which is the normal process.'

He said there no was need to take 'unnecessary risks'.

Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan appeared on Today on Wednesday, where he reiterated the message. 

'This is going to be a long race to get the vaccine rolled out across the whole country. And it's not necessarily those that start the race the quickest that are going to end the race the soonest,' he said.

'Early march is six, seven weeks away, so it is not too far to make sure we get this right and get to the end of this race as soon as possible.

'I understand why people would love to see this out sooner rather than later. But with all respect to former prime ministers and others, I do think we should take the advice of the health authorities. They have served us very well in this country. We have stuck to their advice.' 

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said ultimately it was a decision for the companies when the doses would be made available

Australia has agreements with Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Novavax.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is being made in Melbourne by CSL but a delay in delivering essential data to the Government means the vaccine may not be ready for the public by March as expected.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said health authorities were working closely with the companies and other nations to ensure the vaccines are safe and effective.

'We have the finger on the pulse ... we know what is happening in the regulatory space, but just as important what is happening in terms of the implementation of vaccination strategies in like-minded countries such as the UK, the US and Europe,' he told reporters in Canberra.

The approvals will happen when we have all the information we need ... and that will be fast-tracked as much as possible but no shortcuts will be made.'