Goulburn medical clinics deliver Pfizer vaccines to community

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said there were also now six GP clinics in Goulburn delivering the AstraZenca vaccine, two of which now were also vaccinating Pfizer.

"Goulburn Medical Clinic and Marima Medical Centre have begun administering the Pfizer vaccine to those eligible this week, which is great news for the community," Mr Taylor said.

"We are also seeing hundreds of local pharmacies across the state participating in the roll-out, Marulan Pharmacy has been approved to deliver the AstraZeneca vaccine."

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However, Goulburn Medical Clinic practice manager Maree Stapleton said personnel had been delivering the Pfizer jab for three to four weeks.

The clinic receives 300 vaccines a fortnight, which covers first and second doses, given three weeks apart.

"Our phone calls have tripled since we put it out that that we were going to administer Pfizer. Everyone wants it," she said.

People aged over 12 are eligible but must meet criteria.

Mrs Stapleton said aged care workers were being given priority for Pfizer as they must be vaccinated by September 17. But they also had the choice of receiving AstraZeneca.

People aged over 60 had to have AstraZeneca, unless they had a blood clotting disorder.

The clinic is booked from now to the end of September with Pfizer appointments but people are urged to call back at the end of the month.

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Goulburn Medical Clinic has vaccinated some 3000 people since March with AstraZeneca. In contrast to several months ago, there is now an unlimited supply.

Mrs Stapleton said there was previously a reluctance to have the vaccine. But this changed dramatically after a contract painter on the Goulburn Base Hospital redevelopment tested positive to COVID-19.

"People aged between 20 and 35 especially just want to be vaccinated," she told The Post.

Marima Medical Clinic practice manager Kim Weeks said the clinic could order as many Pfizer vaccines as it needed but had to balance staff resources and storage capacity. The vaccine must be used within 31 days if very cold storage is not available.

"Our capacity is the problem, otherwise we could do a lot more people," Mrs Weeks said.

"We are all extremely busy."

As it is, the clinic is vaccinating people into the evening and on Saturdays.

She has ordered 300 Pfizers in the next fortnight and 600 in the ensuing two weeks, which catered for both jabs.

Mrs Weeks agreed with Mrs Stapleton that once people discovered this vaccine was available, they didn't want AstraZeneca. She said the "hype" surrounding the latter was disappointing and it was a perfectly safe vaccine.

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The clinic has delivered 3000 of both types since March.

Overall, she told The Post that the cost of delivering the service did not match the federal government's resourcing.

Meantime, Mr Taylor said more pharmacies in the Southern Highlands would be delivering AstraZeneca from Monday.

In addition, community pharmacies will also participate in the rollout of the Moderna vaccine from September.

Further information on the pharmacy roll-out will be made available through the Department of Health.

To find your closest vaccination clinic visit the COVID Vaccine Eligibility Checker at covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au.

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