Covid-19 vaccines have saved hundreds of Australian lives with just six cases ...

Covid-19 vaccines have saved hundreds of Australian lives with just six cases ...
Covid-19 vaccines have saved hundreds of Australian lives with just six cases ...

Vaccines have stopped hundreds of of elderly Australians from dying from Covid in outbreaks around the country this year, Health Minister Greg Hunt has said.

Just six of the more than 2,500 cases recorded in Sydney's outbreak are in aged care homes, all but one of whom are fully vaccinated and none are critically ill.

Thirteen people in total have died in the outbreak, with 182 in hospital - including 22 on ventilators and 32 others in ICU.

Throughout the pandemic so far, about 2,060 elderly people have been infected with the virus, and 685 have died in Australia.

By this time last year, 15,304 Victorians were infected in the state's deadly second wave including 547 in aged care homes of which 73 died.

Vaccines have stopped hundreds of of elderly Australians from potentially dying from Covid in outbreaks around the country this year

Vaccines have stopped hundreds of of elderly Australians from potentially dying from Covid in outbreaks around the country this year

Health minister Greg Hunt (pictured) said vaccines are reducing infections and saving lives

Health minister Greg Hunt (pictured) said vaccines are reducing infections and saving lives

Health minister Greg Hunt said the fact that the numbers aren't higher is proof that vaccines are reducing infections and saving lives.

'It significantly reduces, but doesn't prevent, your chances of catching or transmitting the ­disease,' he said.

'Overwhelmingly, it re­duces the numbers of cases and it's ­absolutely clear that it provides enormous protection for everybody, particularly among the most vulnerable.' 

But even more lives could have been saved in 2021's outbreaks, and potentially in future ones before the year is over, if the vaccine rollout wasn't so slow.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted on Thursday he didn't order enough vaccines last year when they were distributed internationally - putting the lives of Australians at risk.

The rollout

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