Anyone over the age of 16 can now get the COVID-19 vaccine in the Northern Territory

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.

From Tuesday, Darwin residents who are old enough will be able to get the jab after an agreement was reached at last week’s national cabinet meeting.

“This is a sensible approach given our relatively small but highly vulnerable population,” Chief Minister Michael Gunner told reporters Monday.

Mr Gunner thanked Prime Minister Scott Morrison, saying he had been assured the NT would receive the supply of vaccine needed to relax the rollout phases.

Darwin will join the rest of the NT, where the vaccine has been available to Territorians 16 and over since mid-May due to the high percentage of vulnerable Indigenous people in the population.

The decision to discard the phases for Alice Springs and other remote communities came ahead of an expected influx of interstate tourists.

Source: sbs