Plea for South Australians to roll up their sleeves in SA’s biggest peacetime operation

South Australia’s biggest peacetime operation launches tomorrow in the campaign against coronavirus.

Executive director of nursing at Central Adelaide Local Health Network Rebecca Badcock will play her part in SA’s massive COVID vaccine roll out Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

The biggest peacetime operation in South Australian history launches tomorrow with a call for hundreds of workers to join SA Health’s “jab army” for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

From nurses and doctors to chemists and administrators, SA Health will have a battalion of staff ready to vaccinate the entire state by Christmas.

The public is being urged to roll up their sleeves and bare arms for the jab, which will be gradually rolled out according to need and age groups.

Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade said SA Health would use its army of professionals to erect a “vaccine shield” to protect South Australians.

“We are about to embark on the state’s biggest-ever peacetime operation,” he said. “We are facing a virus about which we still have a lot to learn.

“Given the scale and complexity of the operation in front of us, we know that there will be road bumps, but we are determined to ensure the safe, efficient and timely delivery of vaccines to the general population in a prioritised order.”

Mr Wade cautioned the vaccine would “not be a silver bullet” but would add new layer of protection.

The Federal Government will decide on time frames and order of priority for groups, but state governments will be integral to delivering the vaccinations.

“Nurses, midwives, doctors, pharmacists, paramedics and administration staff will form multidisciplinary teams to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations across the state, initially at dedicated vaccination hubs within our local health networks,” Mr Wade said.

“A qualified COVID-19 vaccination-trained surge workforce is required to deliver the program over the rollout period of up to 11 months.

“Two doses of vaccine are required for each person, extending the time it will take for every South Australian to be adequately immunised.”

Clinical and non-clinical staff with relevant qualifications and experience are now able to register through an expression of interest link on the SA Health website to be a part of the vaccination program.

The extra staff will be required to undertake roles across various areas, from pre-screening and bookings, data and digital storage, administering the vaccine and post-vaccination and observation.

Adjunct Associate Professor Jenny Hurley, the chief nurse and midwifery officer, said nurses and midwives had played a pivotal role in the COVID-19 response.

“We are seeking registered nurses and midwives who hold a current practising certificate with recent experience in the delivery of immunisations to undertake immuniser roles,” she said.

“Eligible staff who choose to register as part of the expression of interest will be included in recruitment pools, which we will look to draw from over the coming months.

“All COVID-19 vaccination workforce including administrative staff will be required to undertake training and induction programs to support the rapid upskilling and surge capacity requirements, including areas such as infection prevention and control, vaccine distribution, and cold chain management.”

The first phase of SA’s COVID-19 vaccination program will include residents and staff of aged and disability care facilities, medi-hotel and airport staff, and health care workers.

CMAX principal investigator Dr Angela Molga at a clinical research facility on North terrace Adelaide. Picture: Mike Burton

Survivors’ blood to protect others

CLINICAL trials of a “hyperimmune globulin” made from the blood of recovered COVID-19 patients will start in Adelaide aimed at turbocharging the immune systems of people who get the disease.

Australian pharmaceutical giant CSL is using the blood of COVID survivors to collect precious antibodies their immune systems developed against coronavirus.

Their researchers believe they can deliver “borrowed immunity” to people who contract the disease and fall severely ill, by infusing them with concentrated antibody-rich product.

They are calling for volunteers for the trial, to be run at the CMAX facility based at the Royal Adelaide Hospital which has experienced a surge in demand for trials from companies around the world due to its outstanding reputation and because trials elsewhere have collapsed amid lockdowns.

The trial needs 24 healthy male and female volunteers aged between 18 and 65 who will have a four-night stay with a single intravenous infusion of the product – see cmax.com.au or ph 1800 150433 for information.

Two different dose levels will be administered to try to fine tune the best dosage, and participants will be followed up with safety checks for four months.

The potential new weapon against coronavirus has been developed using donations of plasma from people who have recovered from the disease and collected by the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood.

These donors have high levels of antibodies – proteins that fight COVID-19 – in their of their blood.

These antibodies are pooled, purified and concentrated to make the product manufactured by CSL at its advanced manufacturing facility at Broadmeadows in Victoria.

CSL head of research and chief scientific officer Dr Andrew Nash said the company already makes hyperimmunes to treat diseases such as hepatitis B and tetanus,

“These hyperimmunes are manufactured using plasma collected from Australia’s donors and have a strong track record for safety – this product does not contain the actual virus in any way, shape or form,” he said.

“The plan is to use it on very sick patients in hospital to provide them with a boost of antibodies to fight the virus. Even when we have widespread vaccination it is likely some people will fall ill.”

The immune responses of the healthy volunteers will be measured against a major study in the US where 500 people sick with COVID are being given a similar product.

CSL has collected 400kg of plasma from 600 donations from COVID survivors which Dr Nash said should be enough to treat about 50 adult patients.

He estimated the product could be available for clinical use as early as the middle of this year and said other hyperimmunes have only mild side effects.

The federal government has an agreement for CSL to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine with plans for 50 million doses to be manufactured in Australia once it is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

CSL Limited has its head office in Melbourne and employs more than 25,000 people.