On Thursday, the confusion got worse when it was announced the Pfizer vaccine was now the preferred choice for adults under 50 years of age, throwing doubt over Canberra’s target of total vaccination by October.
Echuca Regional Health has completed its internal program, with all relevant staff — plus all Glanville Village aged care residents — vaccinated.
Today, April 12, it starts its work with our first responders — with paramedics, police and firefighters rolling up their sleeves for the jab.
But apart from the frontline workers, most locals in the Phase 1a category — considered the most vulnerable and highest priority for the vaccine, which includes aged care and disability staff and residents — are yet to be vaccinated.
Disability support organisation Vivid Echuca said it had still not been given a date for its staff and residential clients to start being vaccinated — six weeks after the Phase 1a rollout began.
“We’re obtaining consent and just waiting,” acting chief executive Shannon Walker said.
“A week or two ago, we received advice we would have contact within the next few weeks, but that’s the closest we’ve had in terms of getting any concrete indication of when this might occur.”
With Phase 1b of the rollout already under way elsewhere in the state, which includes adults with an underlying medical condition or significant disability, other health care workers, and adults over 70, Vivid has advised its staff they can instead go to local GPs to be immunised.
The rollout of the vaccine to private aged care and disability staff and residents is the role of the Federal Government.
Moama Health Clinic joined the COVID-19 vaccine rollout on April 1, alongside Rich River Health Group and Njernda Aboriginal Corporation, which have been vaccinating for three weeks.
Echuca-Moama Family Medical Practice was scheduled to begin its vaccinations on March 29, but its promised supplies failed to arrive, according to Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network.
“We acknowledge the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is logistically challenging and complex and may result in delivery delays with some practices not receiving their vaccine supply in time to commence as scheduled,” MPHN acting chief executive Julie Redway said.
“Residents across our region are encouraged to be patient as vaccination clinics open in general practice.”
So far, only one person in Australia, a 44-year-old man in Victoria, has developed blood clots after being vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and the number of cases worldwide remains low.
But it was enough for the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation to recommend a rethink after also considering findings out of Europe regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine.
It's a decision it says is based on the increasing risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 in older adults — and hence a higher benefit from vaccination — and a potentially increased risk of blood clotting complications following AstraZeneca vaccination among those aged under 50.
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