Australia faces a 'Herculean task' in reaching the country's 80 per cent vaccination target for the reopening of international borders, a top expert has warned.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced National Cabinet has agreed in principle on vaccine targets for Australia's path out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Morrison said yesterday 70 per cent of eligible people need to be vaccinated to get to the next phase under the four-part plan he outlined last month.
Australia will move into phase B when 70 per cent of the eligible population is double-dose vaccinated and phase C at 80 per cent.
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But Rob Grenfell, the CSIRO's health director in regional director in regional Victoria, told Today that Australia faces a long haul before it hits 80 per cent vaccination.
"We have so much of our childhood immunisations in the high 90 per cents but to achieve an 80 per cent is going to be a Herculean task," Dr Grenfell said.
"Yes, we could do it but it's a matter of how long it will take."
Dr Grenfell said Australia also faced challenges in hitting the initial 70 per cent vaccination target.
"A lot of people are actually having a bit of hesitancy with regards to getting the vaccine and also some people are having challenges getting to vaccination centres.
"So those things need to be ironed out for us to reach the 70 per cent."
While Mr Morrison refused to set timelines, he indicated the 70 per cent could be hit before the end of the year.
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"We will hit these targets with what I believe will be a gold medal run to the end of the year," he said yesterday
While around 40 per cent of Australians have had their first dose, just over 18 per cent are fully vaccinated.
However, the 70 per cent level for Australians is a high target but other countries show it can be achieved, Dr Grenfell says.
"What's the encouraging sign is that all those high-risk groups, say in the UK, for instance, is many people over 75 - and we are talking into the 80 per cent in that age group - are actually vaccinated," Dr Grenfell said.
"So the hospitalisation and the death rates are not rising as much in the United Kingdom and Israel."
National Cabinet leaders are using new scientific modelling from the Doherty Institute to weigh up the health risks of reopening, against the economic pain of restrictions.
