Late stampede for jabs
FAR North residents are expected to be queuing out the door at the Cairns Convention Centre on Thursday as part of the late rush to get vaccinated before tomorrow’s mandate, which will exclude unvaccinated people from pubs, cafes and major sporting events.
According to Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service Covid-19 vaccination program director Kelly Pollock, demand for first, second and booster shots had driven numbers to double.
“We have had a huge increase in demand finally since Sunday when we received information that boosters could be received after five not six months and in true Far North Queensland style, everyone is wanting to come in before Christmas,” she said.
“We are still seeing some first doses yesterday, (but) just over 50 per cent were booster vaccinations.”
Ms Pollock said CHHHS understood there were many reasons for the rise in demand.
“The borders have obviously now opened and people want to travel for Christmas and people want to get their booster early,” she said. “We have surged from over 500 people a day to over 1000 a day and we ask everyone to be patient with our staff who have been doing this since February and we are a little tired.
“While we have had a bit of unpleasantness, at the end of the day we are in this together and want to protect ourselves, our family and community, so if you are still sitting on the fence please come forward.”
Ms Pollock said CHHHS had been assisting other vaccination sites in Cairns when they needed more doses.
“There’s no shortages of vaccines, we have also been helping out GPs and pharmacies if they need extra doses because they belong to all of us,” she said.
CHHHS vaccination manager Shelley Pember said two pop-up clinics would be held this weekend at Cairns Central and Historic Village Herberton, at Dimbulah Primary Health Care at Mareeba, The Gateway Hotel.
“We will have enough vaccines for everyone,” she said.
“Our pop-up clinics are open all weekend.”
Meanwhile, many pharmacies have also reported an increase in the number of people booking a vaccination.
At Calanna Wholehealth Pharmacy Group, retail manager Catherine Hackett, said up to 40 people a day were booking in for a shot, with the booster shot in high demand.
“Over the last few days we have a had a lot of phone calls about the booster,” she said.
“We are only doing vaccinations of AZ and Moderna at our Woree and Edmonton stores.
“We prefer people to book online to make sure they get the vaccination they need.”