Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine National Rollout Strategy, which details sites and priority populations for initial vaccinations, and the phases in which vaccine doses will be made available in Australia.
A PDF copy of Australia’s Epidemiology and COVID-19 Vaccine Roadmap can be viewed / downloaded here.
The vaccine is currently scheduled to start to be available to Australians in mid to late February 2021 and Healthy North Coast is preparing to help coordinate the role of primary care in our local rollout strategy.
Healthy North Coast will work in partnership with local general practices, GP respiratory clinics, Aboriginal Medical Services and NSW Health to help deliver the vaccine.
Acting CEO Monika Wheeler said it was an exciting time for the community, but it was also critical to remain vigilant especially with the new outbreak in nearby Brisbane.
We must all continue to follow the lessons we learned in 2020 and maintain COVID-19 protocols around good hygiene and physical distancing,” Ms Wheeler said.
“As a popular tourist destination, it is critical that all residents and visitors get tested and isolate when unwell,” she said.
She said the local health workforce was gearing up for the vaccine rollout. New referral pathways, education and practice support is being developed by Healthy North Coast to assist with the implementation of the program.
“This is early days and we will continue to keep practitioners, allied health professionals and the community up-to-date with the latest information as it becomes available,” Ms Wheeler said.
Under the COVID-19 Vaccine National Rollout Strategy, an initial 30 to 50 ‘vaccine hubs’ will expand to more than 1000 points of distribution nationwide as the program is implemented.
Frontline health workers and older people living in residential aged care facilities will be the first to receive the vaccine.