Australia approves rewards for Covid jabs

Australian businesses have been given the green light to offer rewards to people who have been vaccinated for Covid-19.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved arrangements that will be in place until the end of 2022.

Health professionals, businesses and media outlets will be able to develop their own materials about TGA-approved Covid-19 vaccines.

"They also permit the offer of a range of rewards to people who have been fully vaccinated under the government's Covid-19 vaccination program," the regulator said.

"Businesses can now supplement government public health campaigns through offers of practical support (including rewards) that encourage Australians to be vaccinated."

The messaging must not refer to specific brands of vaccine, promote non-approved vaccines or make statements that are false or misleading.

The rewards could include store vouchers, discounts or frequent flyer points, but cannot include alcohol, tobacco or medicines other than listed medicines.

But any offer of a reward cannot be restricted to only those who have a vaccination after the reward has been announced.

They must be made available to those who have already received their first or second doses.

While the national vaccine rollout has ticked over the five million mark, the TGA is assessing material from Pfizer about extending the jabs to 12- to 16-year-olds.

The Northern Territory is set to be the first jurisdiction in Australia to offer the Covid-19 vaccine to all residents aged 16 years and over.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised about states stockpiling doses as demand surges.

The latest figures showed dose utilisation ranged from 65 per cent in the Northern Territory to 100 per cent in the ACT.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said there was no need for states to stockpile, as the federal government kept enough supply for second doses.

Vaccine operations co-ordinator Commodore Eric Young said there was no evidence of deliberate state stockpiling, only that some were holding on to supplies for "a raft of reasons".

Pharmacists are pushing to be part of the rollout, saying it could be done faster with their involvement.

Melbourne is set to emerge from two weeks of lockdown on Thursday night, with Victoria recording 11 new coronavirus infections on Monday - all close contacts of existing cases or people in quarantine.

Comments

Bloody brilliant ... I guess there's going to have to be "rewards" given to some groups in NZ as well now. Why don't we just give those who are non-compliant a free ride to Australia on a very well maintained NZ Airforce 757 or a couple of the old C130's (if there's more than 1 that can fly at a time),

Anyone care to take a guess at the numbers who will be lining up for "rewards" ??

Ohhh goody, can we have free icecream too like they give the children in Canada...