WHITE KNIGHT GPS DESERVE RESPECT

THE Covid booster shot is this year’s must-have health Christmas gift. A change in health directive also means the booster can be administered at five months, not six, allowing for more than four million people to get the extra shot.

Last week, Commonwealth Covid-19 taskforce commander Lieutenant-General John Frewen revealed some GPs and pharmacies were running low on stock because of ATAGI’s decision to reduce the booster timeframe. To help, a unit inside the taskforce was charged with looking at where already delivered vaccines were located. It’s believed more than 4.6 million doses are already sitting on shelves in GPs and pharmacies and in state clinics across the land.

So while we’re told supply is not an issue, the Australian Medical Association fears the “crucial” rollout of the booster shot is lagging because not enough is being done to support GPs at the coalface.

Gold Coast GPs have had enough, with one close to tears of frustration at another “botched” rollout.

“Most of us are making a loss and only doing it for the goodwill of the community,” one GP said. “We’re getting paid less than plumbers when you consider the hourly rate, and I know lots of clinics are considering culling the Covid immunisation program because it’s killing their business.”

Why aren’t the feds throwing fists of cash at GPs? They are the ones who do the majority of heavy lifting to keep the population healthy. Maybe the state government should get rid of its sideshow pop-up clinics and hand over some money to the GPs.

Alas, it seems not even a global pandemic can encourage the health departments of the federal and state governments to work together.