Vaccine a shot in the arm for COVID fight
EXACTLY one year on since the nation was gripped by an unfolding global pandemic, mass job losses and sent into lockdowns, the first COVID-19 vaccine has been administered in Southwest Queensland.
A soft launch of the vaccine took place at the Roma Hospital on Thursday, March 18 before it was to get under way in earnest from March 22.
Robyn Brumpton, the South West Hospital and Health Service COVID Vaccination co-ordinator said the rollout would focus on Roma to begin with, before progressively spreading across the Maranoa.
“Initially, we will be vaccinating frontline health and emergency service workers throughout our region, in line with the Commonwealth Government’s phased rollout guidelines,’’ Ms Brumpton said.
“Once this cohort has been vaccinated, we will then begin vaccinating the broader community in each location.
“Vaccinations for the broader community will be available through our health service and through private general practices that have been accredited by the Commonwealth to deliver the vaccine.
“Once we complete the rollout of vaccinations to frontline health and emergency service workers, we will begin advising our communities when the vaccination team will be in their town to undertake vaccinations for the general population.
“For private GPs, southwest residents should visit the federal government’s COVID vaccine eligibility website to see when they can start receiving the vaccine and from which accredited GP near them it will be available.’’
Ms Brumpton said the government had started vaccinating aged care residents and staff in the region.
“Vaccination teams from the Commonwealth’s contracted vaccination provider have started vaccinating staff and residents at the Waroona Multipurpose Centre in Charleville, as well as at Cunnamulla and the Augathella, Mungindi and Dirranbandi multipurpose health services earlier this week,’’ she said.
“They are also due to visit Quilpie, Surat, Injune and Mitchell multipurpose health services this week, but this will depend on how localised flooding is affecting road conditions.
“It’s very exciting to be joining what is Queensland’s largest ever co-ordinated vaccination effort.
“Being vaccinated is one of the easiest things we can all do to keep our communities and loved ones safe and I urge everyone to do so.’’
Ms Brumpton said everyone in southwest communities who was eligible and 18 years and over would have access to the free, safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine.
“All communities in the region will have access to the vaccine and we will keep all our communities informed about vaccination clinic locations and times,” she said.