Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Pratt for the supplementary. Since expanded eligibility has been made for the fourth dose the number of people getting a fourth dose each week has tripled, from around 180,000 a week to more than 500,000 per week. Over four million people have had a fourth dose, which is up almost 1½ million since we expanded the eligibility. More than 50,000 people got their third dose in the last week, but more than five million Australians have still not had theirs. Data shows that people are more likely to get severe illness, be admitted to ICU or die if they're not vaccinated or are overdue for a vaccination compared with those who have had their recommended vaccinations. For those aged 50 to 69, it's around 16 times more likely. Almost three-quarters of the Victorians who died this year after contracting COVID had not had their third dose.