Spurrier urges SA to embrace coronavirus vaccination rollout

The fastest route to normality for South Australians is through the COVID jab, SA’s health chief declares – as SA recorded two new cases on Sunday.

Front line workers, who will be among the first to get a COVID-19 vaccine security officer Heidi Wegmann, paramedic Sophie King, police sergeant Amanda Kuchel and advanced nurse unit manager Kristian Sanchez. Picture: Dean Martin

South Australia’s landmark coronavirus vaccination program launching on Monday is safe, the “best form of prevention” and fastest way to return to normality, the state’s COVID-19 health chief warns.

As part of Australia’s biggest peacetime operation, the first batch of 4000 Pfizer doses will arrive in Adelaide via Sydney on Sunday, as SA Health prepares to cover “high-risk” frontline staff.

A third Adelaide hospital has been fast-tracked to open as a vaccine hub to help authorities inoculate at least 12,000 hotel quarantine, airport, health and aged care workers in three weeks.

Hundreds of residents in 17 SA aged-care homes will also be vaccinated.

It comes as two new cases were recorded on Sunday.

One case is a child who has returned from overseas and has been in a medi-hotel since their arrival.

The second case is a woman in her 30s who has also returned from overseas and has been in a medi-hotel since her arrival. This case is considered an old infection but has been added to our numbers as it has not previously been counted overseas.

In a strongly-worded warning ahead of the “imminent arrival” of the first doses, chief public health officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, gave a personal assurance: “The vaccine is safe.”

“Vaccination is the best form of prevention, and in turn I’d love it if every South Australian gets the jab to protect themselves from this serious disease,” she told the Sunday Mail.

“We know that COVID-19 will be here for a bit longer.

“For us all to live more freely, I urge all South Australians to roll up their sleeve to get vaccinated when it’s their turn.”

She added: “A vaccinated population will definitely increase our chances of getting back to a pre-COVID world.

“The most important thing is the more people that get vaccinated, the more quickly we’ll be able to get back to normal.”

In a high profile launch, a medi-hotel nurse, and police officer, will on Monday become the state’s first COVID vaccinated workers before 1725 colleagues are protected over the next week.

Hundreds have already completed pre-approval forms while almost 1200 SA Health people have registered to helping administer jabs.

Getting jabbed will be medi-hotel advanced nurse unit manager, Kristian Sanchez, hotel quarantine roving police supervisor, Sergeant Amanda Kuchel, their colleague Heidi Wegmann, and paramedic Sophie King.

“I feel confident about it and that’s why I’ve put my hand up to have it done, to show my family, community and work colleagues.” said Ms Wegmann, a medi-hotel security team leader.

Sgt Kuchel praised the program as a “good thing”.

“Every bit of protection that we can give ourselves and the community is going to help,” she said.

Ms King, who works for SA Ambulance Service, said she was proud.

“I am proud to be doing my part to manage the spread of COVID-19, so my frontline colleagues and community can stay safe,” she said.

“It’s likely that COVID-19 is here to stay but vaccinations are a major step to get South Australia back towards normal.”

Mr Kristian Sanchez added: “It’s a big step for South Australia and I’m looking forward to being among the first people to get the vaccine.”

In a delicate operation, four vaccine trays are being couriered in specifically designed cooler “thermal shippers” boxes packed with dry ice to maintain -70C conditions.

They will arrive at major distribution hubs, the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Flinders Medical Centre. The Lyell McEwin Hospital will be fast-tracked to launch in a fortnight.

Officials say the DHL courier vehicle will be met by specially protected hospital staff including vaccination supervisors as well as pharmacy and security staff.

They will then escort the vaccines to the room where they will be placed in the specialist Ultra-Low Temperature Freezers at a cost of $30,000.

The team will have five minutes to safely store the vaccines to stop them being damaged.

An SA Health spokeswoman said the box will be opened before a temperature tracker checked and removed, the vials then cross-checked and its details recorded.

The main freezer door will be opened with a key and the airlock door then opened so that the tray of doses can be placed in the freezer, which will be locked.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier said she would love every South Australian to be vaccinated against coronavirus. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Another six public hospital hubs will open as Commonwealth supplies became available.

While not mandatory, the State Government has ambitious plans to offer every SA resident, aged 16 and over, a jab by Christmas.

Revealing she will be vaccinated, along with her family, Prof Spurrier said while many questions remained, the public should have “confidence” in the vaccine and national rollout.

She said only vaccines which have met “extremely high safety standards” set by the Therapeutic Goods Administration are used in Australia.

Conceding it may appear vaccines had developed too rapidly, she said “unprecedented levels” of funding and global work had occurred between regulators, governments, developers and scientists.

“(This) has allowed every step in the process to be completed thoroughly and without compromise,” she said.

“I will have no personal hesitation in having either of the vaccines and will make sure all of my family get it when it is their turn.”

In January SA’s political leaders vowed to get a public vaccine to help show confidence in the rollout.

Premier Steven Marshall has said he would invite Prof Spurrier, Police Commissioner Grant Stevens and Health Minister Stephen Wade to join him have the vaccine publicly administered when it became available.

SA Health on Sunday reported a third day of zero daily cases while a patient had recovered leaving two active cases in the Pullman and Tom’s Court Hotel virus facility.