Healthy North Coast, who are helping to coordinate the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, have revealed the first location and group to receive the Pfizer vaccine in our region.

Next week Residents of Aged Care Facilities (RACF's) in Alstonville will be the first people in the Northern Rivers to receive the vaccine along with residents in Ballina.

As details of the Australian Government’s COVID-19 vaccination program continue to develop, they are:

• Working with local general practices to prepare for future stages of the rollout.
• Supporting residential aged care facilities with timely information.
• Planning support for our communities that encourages our region to be informed and involved.

Phase 1a — Residents of Aged Care Facilities Will Start Receiving Vaccinations 

The Australian Government is ensuring those who are particularly vulnerable to the worst effects of the COVID-19 virus receive the earliest protection, so priority is being given to older people living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs).

This first phase of the vaccination program, using Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine and being delivered by Healthcare Australia, is set to start next week at 15 RACFs in Ballina, Alstonville and Port Macquarie.

The Department of Health is supporting RACF staff to prepare. An information and readiness toolkit has been sent to RACFs to help those who will be part of this early-stage rollout.

Healthy North Coast is supporting Mid North Coast and Northern NSW RACFs, who continue to benefit from the local network connections established as part of the early 2020 COVID-19 pandemic response. The latest information and resources are being shared so that North Coast RACF residents continue to receive the best care and support throughout the pandemic response.

Phase 1b — Limited Number of General Practices Will Provide Vaccination Clinics    

General practices selected to participate in Phase 1b of the rollout, scheduled to commence in March with the TGA provisionally approved Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, will play a critical role in protecting North Coast residents against the COVID-19 virus.

Over 50 per cent of all accredited North Coast general practices recently submitted an EOI to be a part of this first phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Initially, only a small number of general practices will participate in providing large-scale vaccination clinics. In consultation with Healthy North Coast, the Australian Government’s Department of Health will select practices based on key criteria including, but not limited to, location, population coverage and access, readiness and service infrastructure.

The Government has indicated that all accredited general practices will have the opportunity to provide the vaccine over time. The majority of general practices that have expressed interest to support the vaccination rollout program will commence vaccination from Phase 2 onwards.

Established GP-run respiratory clinics, which have played a critical role in providing local COVID-19 assessment and testing, and Aboriginal health services and pharmacies will also participate in the vaccination program’s future stages.

Assessing North Coast Need 

Through local data modelling, Healthy North Coast has analysed population health information and primary care service availability to help plan for the local delivery of the COVID-19 vaccination program. This modelling helps to assess our areas of high need and provides evidence for recommending priority areas.

Healthy North Coast’s modelling incorporates:

• Population health and geographic data matched to each phase of the vaccine roadmap.
• General practice data supplied in the recent EOI process.
• Provider availability such as the addition of GP respiratory clinics, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and pharmacies.

Staying COVID Safe Is as Important as Ever 

Healthy North Coast supports the Australian Government’s staged vaccination strategy, designed around limited vaccine availability and the prioritisation of high-risk groups and regions of need.

While the Australian COVID-19 vaccination program is starting next week, with the first supply of vaccines being distributed as part of Phase 1a, it will be months before everyone in our region will access vaccines.

Healthy North Coast CEO Julie Sturgess emphasises the importance of maintaining hygiene practices, physical distancing and testing for COVID-19 throughout 2021.

“As the COVID-19 vaccination program gets set to start, and despite the relatively low numbers of local cases we’ve experienced in our region, we can’t let our guard down,” Ms Sturgess said.

“We need to remain vigilant about preventing the spread of the virus. If you’re experiencing even mild symptoms, make sure you get tested early at one of our local testing centres,” Ms Sturgess added.