WA to roll out COVID vaccines from Monday - Port Lincoln Times

At least 5000 West Australians should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-March with hotel quarantine workers to be among the first recipients. The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine are due to arrive in WA by Sunday night and will start being administered the following day, Premier Mark McGowan says. Quarantine and international border workers and high-risk frontline healthcare staff in aged and disability care will be the first in line to get the jab. Trays of vials will be stored in an ultra-cold freezer at Perth Children's Hospital before being transported to clinics over the next few weeks. An expert team from the Child and Adolescent Health Service will administer vaccinations at clinics at a designated quarantine hotel, Perth International Airport and Fremantle Port. WA Health will start contacting eligible recipients from Thursday. "This will be done in a careful, managed way and obviously as more doses arrive in WA we will then ramp up vaccinations and increase the number of clinics at regional ports and particular WA hospitals across the state," Mr McGowan said. About 5000 doses will arrive in WA each week for the first three weeks before that number increases in mid-March. It's hoped by then that the first cohort of recipients will each have received two shots of the Pfizer vaccine several weeks apart. The rollout will be expanded to other priority groups at the end of March, including other healthcare workers, people aged over 70, adults with underlying medical conditions, emergency workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. That group will receive either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine, with the premier describing both jabs as "very effective". While some political leaders have flagged that they will get the vaccine first up to set an example for others, Mr McGowan won't be following suit. "When the time is right, when it is my turn, I will 100 per cent be getting the vaccine," he said. "But I'm not going to jump the queue or get in the way of someone vulnerable that really needs it ... I've just decided I'll wait my turn like everyone else." There are hopes all West Australians who want to receive the vaccine can do so by the end of October, although the premier described that target as "slightly ambitious". Regional distribution hubs will eventually be established in towns including Broome, Albany and Kalgoorlie, as well as Perth. Mr McGowan said the states and Commonwealth should consider whether it should become mandatory for hotel quarantine workers to get vaccinated. "As we have only recently seen, the risk of the virus sneaking out into our community is real," he said. "We haven't made it mandatory at this point in time for anyone. Obviously we want to encourage people very heavily to do it." WA recorded no new infections on Thursday. Three cases remain active. Australian Associated Press

At least 5000 West Australians should be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by mid-March with hotel quarantine workers to be among the first recipients.

The first doses of the Pfizer vaccine are due to arrive in WA by Sunday night and will start being administered the following day, Premier Mark McGowan says.

Quarantine and international border workers and high-risk frontline healthcare staff in aged and disability care will be the first in line to get the jab.

Trays of vials will be stored in an ultra-cold freezer at Perth Children's Hospital before being transported to clinics over the next few weeks.

An expert team from the Child and Adolescent Health Service will administer vaccinations at clinics at a designated quarantine hotel, Perth International Airport and Fremantle Port.

WA Health will start contacting eligible recipients from Thursday.

"This will be done in a careful, managed way and obviously as more doses arrive in WA we will then ramp up vaccinations and increase the number of clinics at regional ports and particular WA hospitals across the state," Mr McGowan said.

About 5000 doses will arrive in WA each week for the first three weeks before that number increases in mid-March.

It's hoped by then that the first cohort of recipients will each have received two shots of the Pfizer vaccine several weeks apart.

The rollout will be expanded to other priority groups at the end of March, including other healthcare workers, people aged over 70, adults with underlying medical conditions, emergency workers and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

That group will receive either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine, with the premier describing both jabs as "very effective".

While some political leaders have flagged that they will get the vaccine first up to set an example for others, Mr McGowan won't be following suit.

"When the time is right, when it is my turn, I will 100 per cent be getting the vaccine," he said.

"But I'm not going to jump the queue or get in the way of someone vulnerable that really needs it ... I've just decided I'll wait my turn like everyone else."

There are hopes all West Australians who want to receive the vaccine can do so by the end of October, although the premier described that target as "slightly ambitious".

Regional distribution hubs will eventually be established in towns including Broome, Albany and Kalgoorlie, as well as Perth.

Mr McGowan said the states and Commonwealth should consider whether it should become mandatory for hotel quarantine workers to get vaccinated.

"As we have only recently seen, the risk of the virus sneaking out into our community is real," he said.

"We haven't made it mandatory at this point in time for anyone. Obviously we want to encourage people very heavily to do it."

WA recorded no new infections on Thursday. Three cases remain active.

Australian Associated Press

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2021-02-18 04:15:42Z
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