All pharmacies, all vaccines: Twomey

PHARMACIES across the country should be given access to Pfizer/ BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines as well as doses of the AstraZeneca shot to support the national vaccination program, Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, Trent Twomey, believes.

Twomey welcomed calls from Western Australian Premier, Mark McGowan, for greater access to doses of the Pfizer jab, in the wake of the updated advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) that the AstraZeneca vaccine should be restricted to those 60 years and older.

Speaking before today’s National Cabinet meeting, McGowan said the change in vaccine advice meant WA needed more than its current weekly allocation of 30,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

“If there’s more vaccine supplies, we are ready willing and able to collaborate with the Federal Government to boost the Pfizer vaccine rollout through our Staterun clinics, GPs and pharmacies, to help protect Western Australians,” McGowan said.

Responding to a comment from a Perth-based pharmacist posted on social media, calling on the Federal Government to “get its act in gear and realise pharmacists’ involvement [in the vaccine rollout] is crucial”, Twomey called for “all pharmacies” to be activated to administer “all [COVID] vaccines”.

MEANWHILE, Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, said the number of doses of the Pfizer vaccine coming into Australia will increase over the coming months, with The Australian reporting that 1.7 million are due to arrive this month, while a further 2.8 million are expected in Jul.