Covid vaccinations set to begin in the Wingecarribee Shire

The first of the community Astra Zeneca Covid 19 vaccinations will begin to be administered to locals in the Category Phase 1b on Saturday, March 20.

A few FAQs:

Who is in Phase 1b?

Elderly adults aged 70 and over, Healthcare Workers not covered in Phase 1a immunisations at the Hospital and Nursing Homes, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, adults with serious medical conditions (the government has defined these conditions), adults with a disability who have a specified underlying medical condition and critical and high risk workers including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing workers.

Who is in Phase 1a?

Front line health workers, aged care residents and aged care staff, disability residents and staff,and Hotel Quarantine staff. Front line workers at Bowral Hospital are gradually being vaccinated (at Liverpool Hospital).

Wingecarribee Aged Care Facilities and their staff have not yet been informed when the vaccine will be coming to their nursing homes or staff. The Nursing Home roll out is estimated to also take several months.

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Who will get which vaccine?

The Phase 1a persons will receive the Pfizer vaccine. The Phase 1b persons will receive the Astra Zeneca vaccine. People cannot make their own choice of vaccine.

Where will Phase 1b persons get their vaccination done?

Phase 1b vaccinations will be done in local General Practices. At least 10 local General Practice Medical Centres have been given Vaccination Centre status by the Federal Department of Health, which is overseeing the Phase 1b roll out.

Strict regulations as to vaccine storage, preparation and administration, education of vaccine givers, registration on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) etc have been mandated by Federal Department of Health

Will all general practices be vaccination centres?

For the moment, about 10 local medical centres will administer vaccinations. The remainder (mostly smaller and/or un-accredited) will not be administering vaccines.

How do I find out if my practice is providing Covid vaccinations?

Some practices are giving details on their websites, some on their Facebook page, some are writing to their patients, some will use SMS messaging, and most will post notices in their surgeries. You may need to ask the reception staff or your GP.

How do I organise an appointment for my vaccination?

This will vary from vaccination centre to vaccination centre. Some practices are using a waiting list.

Some are accepting appointments on the internet. Some are offering appointments by email, SMS or mail. Read your practice information or ask the receptionists.

How do I get a Covid vaccination if I attend a practice that is not a vaccination centre?

Your practice will inform you what alternative arrangements have been made. Vaccination centres are obliged to provide vaccination to people from practices which are not vaccinating.

Some non-vaccinating practices will have special arrangements with specific vaccination centres to enable their patients to get a vaccination.

Are there any extra obligations if you go to a vaccinating centre that is not your usual practice?

Yes. You will have to register with the practice - name, date of birth, address, phone and email contacts, Medicare number, allergies etc - to allow it to keep proper records and then record your immunisation on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).

You will need to organise this in advance with the vaccination centre.

How much will I be charged?

Nothing. The Government has mandated that all vaccinations will be bulkbilled and there is no charge for the vaccine.

Which is the best vaccine?

With about 380 million vaccines of various types administered in the world, it appears that both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are both quite effective in reducing the risk of hospitalisation, of serious illness and death.

It is probably too early to tell if vaccination reduces the risk of infection or which vaccines are most effective against the new variants of Covid, which are becoming more common.

How long is it likely to take to immunise our population?

t is difficult to say, but at anticipated vaccination rates, it will take a number of months to vaccinate all our Phase 1b population.

It is anticipated that all Nursing Home residents will have received their first vaccination in the next 1 1/2 - 2 months.

Can I have my flu vaccination at the same time?

Current advice is that people should not have a flu vaccination for two weeks either side of the Covid vaccine.

Flu vaccination is a critical part of our Covid avoidance strategy. We suggest that as it will take several months to immunise all the Phase 1b people with the first dose of Covid vaccine, that elderly people should consider having their flu vaccination before they have their first Covid immunisation.

Talk to your practice about their arrangements. We are still not sure when flu vaccinations will be coming to general practices.

Can I ask my GP about the pros and cons of vaccination, side effects etc?

Yes, but this cannot be done at the time of vaccination as this will severely slow down the process.

We suggest that you seek this information from reputable websites (both the Australian Department of Health website and the NSW health website), and if you need to ask your GP, we suggest you make an appointment on a day prior to your vaccination appointment.

Do I need to sign a formal consent to get my vaccination?

Yes. Most practices will need a signed paper consent, to be given to the practice prior to vaccination day.

A small number of practices will do on-line consents. Again, go to your practice information or obtain a form from the receptionists.

Will I get vaccinated if I am not covered by Phase 1a or 1b?

Yes. The next category is Phase 2a - adults 50-69, other critical and high risk workers, and then Phase 2b - balance of the adult population and other adults who missed out on Phase 1a and 1b vaccination.

It is not anticipated that we will start vaccinating 2a and 2b persons until everyone in Phase 1b is fully vaccinated with (about 14.8 million Australians) both doses - so we do not anticipate the 2a and 2b rollout will commence for a number of months.

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