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South Australia to ramp up vaccine program

Tim DorninAAP
Stephen Wade says SA is on track to administer 12,000 vaccinations over the first three weeks.
Camera IconStephen Wade says SA is on track to administer 12,000 vaccinations over the first three weeks.

South Australia has taken delivery of a third freezer to store coronavirus vaccines as it moves to ramp up the vaccination program.

While only 1630 doses were administered in the first full week, Health Minister Stephen Wade said the state remained on track to administer 12,000 over the first three weeks.

"We look forward to steadily increasing that rate. But it's important to do it in a careful way," he said.

The minister said SA took delivery of 4000 doses last week and expected the remaining 8000 to arrive in two separate deliveries in the coming days.

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The new freezer to store the Pfizer vaccine at the appropriate temperature has been installed at the Lyell McEwin Hospital in Adelaide's north.

It can hold up to 280,000 doses and will allow more frontline health and quarantine workers to be given a jab as soon as possible.

"Our program will continue to expand as more vaccination hubs, such as this one at the Lyell McEwin Hospital, come online," Mr Wade said.

"We are pleased with the rollout of the vaccine so far."

Meanwhile, SA Health reported three new COVID-19 infections on Monday, with a man in his 60s and two men in their 30s testing positive in hotel quarantine after recently returning from overseas.

However, officials said tests were under way to determine if their cases were old infections.

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