A prominent Port Stephens GP has given the Therapeutic Goods Administration-approved Pfizer vaccine a glowing endorsement on the eve of its Australian rollout.
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Dr Alex Richardson, clinical director at Nelson Plaza Clinic, told the Examiner that both his parents who are aged in their 60s and living in the United Kingdom had recently received the jab.
"They told me as far as they are concerned, it is safe," he said.
The recommendation comes as the first batch of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccinations imported from Europe lands on Australian soil. It also coincides with news from the Primary Health Network (PHN) for Hunter-New England that a vast majority of the Port's medical centres and surgeries have expressed an interest in delivering the vaccine.
The PHN report revealed that more than 90 per cent of general practices across the Hunter region had submitted an Expression of Interest to participate in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Which clinics will eventually be selected to take part in the rollout is yet to be confirmed.
"This overwhelming response is a testament to the ongoing commitment our local GPs have demonstrated over the past year to keep their patients and local communities safe and well during the pandemic," CEO Richard Nankervis said.
"One of the most pleasing aspects of this great response is that despite the large geographical footprint, from the Hawkesbury River to the Queensland border, everyone will have the opportunity to access their COVID vaccination through a general practice.
"GPs will be the key players in administering the second and subsequent phases of the vaccine rollout program."
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian this week stated that the first phase of the inoculation program would include those most at risk, such as frontline healthcare and emergency workers, quarantine staff, residential aged and disability care staff and residents.
Dr Richardson said that staff at his Stockton Street practice had recognised the importance of the vaccine rollout to the Port Stephens community.
"We have decided to invest in the rollout by providing separate rooms in the adjacent building (former hearing clinic) and purchasing a vaccination fridge for storage. We are also prepared to bring in extra staff if required," he said.
"We see it as our responsibility to help the community in anyway possible to stay safe and get back to some form of normality."
Mr Richardson said that many of the finer details of the rollout were yet to be released, but it was expected that residents would receive two jabs of the vaccine approximately one month apart.
He said that appointments would likely be made online or via telephone.
In Raymond Terrace, the team at the newly named and located Terrace Central Surgery (formerly known as William Street Family Practice) says it was also keen to participate in the rollout.
"We have lodged our EOI because we see this as a great community initiative and we want people of Raymond Terrace to have equal opportunity to get vaccinated," said surgery owners Odette and Guy Streeter-Smith.
"We are still light on detail but once this information becomes available we can relay the information. We see a lot of residents with mobility and transport issues so hopefully our new premises in Terrace Central will ease some of that burden."
Federal MP Meryl Swanson said she was not surprised to hear that Port Stephens doctors had been quick to put their shoulder to the wheel to help the community as they always do.
"Sadly this government hasn't got a good track record of supporting local GPs or indeed helping address critical shortages across our region. A truly localised rollout will be key to delivering successfully heard immunity across Australia," she said.
Mr Nankervis said that the prioritisation of groups to receive the jab would be determined using public health, medical and epidemiological evidence on who would be most affected if they contracted COVID-19, and those most likely to be exposed.
"In our region we expect that first phase will include more than 180,000 people over the age of 70 years and more than 12,000 Aboriginal people over the age of 55," he said.
"The coming weeks will be an extremely busy time for GPs as they prepare for the second and subsequent phases of the roll-out, which is expected to start in early March following a rigorous assessment of the AstraZeneca vaccine by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)."
The health network is urging everyone in the community who is eligible for a vaccination to participate in the roll out.
"Immunisation is safe and effective and helps protect others, especially those who may not be able to be immunised themselves. When you get immunised, you protect yourself as well as helping to protect the whole community.
"Our hope is that if enough people in the community get immunised, the infection will no longer spread from person to person. This would mean outbreaks are much less likely, and the need for preventative measures, like travel restrictions, would decrease."
Everyone in Australia will be offered a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, which will be voluntary and free. As safe and effective vaccines become available the government will vaccinate as many Australians as possible for COVID-19.
Anyone who chooses not to have a COVID-19 vaccine their eligibility for government payments won't be affected.
