The number of clinics will gradually increase to more than 4000 by the end of April as part of Phase 1B of the vaccination rollout.
A group comprising six million Australians, this phase includes anyone aged 70 years or over, along with more healthcare and frontline workers, people with underlying medical conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 55.
Rich River Health Group practice manager Debbie Pratt said it had received 400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for next week and would vaccinate 80 people a day.
“We’re starting on Monday and will have a clinic every day for three hours,” she said.
“We will be vaccinating patients of our clinic but if we do get outside patients wanting to come, we’ve just got to go through a standard procedure of getting their health summary or a declaration signed to say they haven’t had any other vaccines in the last fortnight.”
Existing patients who are eligible for the vaccine will be notified by SMS messaging or can register their interest at familydoctor.com.au/covid19vaccine
People can check if they can be vaccinated using the eligibility checker on the health.gov.au website, which will then direct them to their nearest clinic.
Njernda Aboriginal Corporation will also begin vaccinations for its medical centre staff and patients on Monday, and will contact those who are eligible.
Ochre Health Medical Centre in Cohuna and Campaspe Medical Centre in Rochester were also named in the first 1000 clinics, while over the border the nearest clinics are Ochre Health Medical Centre in Barham and Deniliquin Respiratory Clinic.
Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network acting chief executive Julie Redway said more GP clinics would administer the vaccine but the initial rollout only included a select number of communities.
“Over the coming weeks, more of our general practices will commence vaccinations, and we will keep you informed of these,” she said.
“If you’re not living in these first communities or neighbouring townships, I would encourage you to contact your local GP to discuss when and how you might be able to receive the vaccine.”
This phase of the vaccine rollout will mostly use the AstraZeneca vaccine, which the Australian Government is reassuring is safe after some European countries paused its use due to reports of blood clots in vaccinated people.
On Wednesday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said the European Medicines Agency still believed the benefits of AstraZeneca in preventing COVID-19 outweighed the risk of side effects.
“The TGA does not have any evidence of a biologically plausible relationship that could suggest a cause and effect relationship between vaccination and blood clots,” a statement said.
As of March 15, the TGA said it hadn’t received any reports of blood clots following the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia.
Meanwhile, people in Echuca-Moama falling into Phase 1A, the highest category, are no closer to knowing when they can get the jab.
The category includes aged care and disability care staff and residents.
An Australian Health Department spokesperson said the start of Phase 1B of the national rollout from March 22 was occurring “in tandem to the continued priority rollout of Phase 1A”.
“Scheduling of all residential aged care facilities, including for the Echuca region, is under way to deliver doses as safely and efficiently as possible for residents and staff,” they said.
“The Department of Health and Primary Health Networks have been regularly communicating with the aged care sector, encouraging all residential aged care facilities to prepare for their vaccination day.”
For Phase 1A health care workers at Echuca Regional Health and public aged care residents and staff, the rollout by Bendigo Health has been slowed by limited supply.
A spokesperson for Bendigo Health said 1000 people in the Phase 1A category had been vaccinated since March 1.
“Healthcare workers and aged care residents in Bendigo, Inglewood, Castlemaine and Kyneton have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and second doses will commence next week,” they said.
“The expansion of our vaccination program to other areas in the Loddon Mallee region is dependent on Commonwealth supply of the vaccine.”
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