Bendigo has been confirmed as one of the nine regional Victorian hubs for the Pfizer vaccine, which requires storage at -70 degrees C.
Meanwhile NSW Health announced its nine hubs, with the nearest to the twin towns being Wagga Wagga.
The rollout strategy will also involve general practitioners, pharmacies and local government.
Currently the Federal Government’s COVID-19 vaccine plan will use the Pfizer vaccine and the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is still being evaluated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
Echuca Regional Health acting chief medical officer John Gallichio said he believed Echuca was most likely set to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“The Pfizer vaccine is the one that requires very low temperatures for transport and that’s why it will be restricted to major hubs as opposed to the more rural and remote centres around Australia.
“In terms of people in this region, Echuca and the Murray community, we are probably a lower priority given the very low numbers of community transmission since February last year.
“The focus will go to the major centres then come through to smaller communities which are considered to be lower risk.”
The Federal Government has secured 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine, enough to vaccinate five million people with two doses each.
This will include the first priority group of quarantine and border workers, frontline health care workers, aged care and disability care staff, aged care and disability care residents.
The government has also secured 3.8 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, however 50 million doses will be manufactured in Australia, therefore covering most of the population.
“The two major vaccines we’re going to be using are both considered safe,” Dr Gallichio said.
“The idea of the vaccines is to build up people’s immunity so they either don’t catch the virus or if they do, they get a very mild dose.
“It doesn’t prevent people from acquiring the virus itself, so we still have to be watchful, if you get symptoms there is still a role to get tested.
“At the moment the vaccines are not recommended for pregnant women.
“The other group of people who should not be getting the vaccine, particularly Pfizer, are people who’ve had a history of allergic reactions to vaccines, medicines or foods in the past.”
Dr Gallichio recommended for the community to still get the flu shot as the autumn and winter period approached.
“The influenza vaccination is still important, but will be separate from the COVID-19 vaccination with a minimum of three weeks between the two,” he said.
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