More Mackay healthcare workers to be immunised against COVID-19

Pharmacy staff had just three minutes to transfer the frozen vaccine from dry ice packaging into a special freezer that stores the vaccine at -80C

The Pfizer vaccine will be available at Mackay Base Hospital from today. Picture: RODGER BOSCH / AFP

The number of healthcare workers immunised against COVID-19 is set to increase

with the arrival of the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

In line with new COVID-19 vaccination guidelines, Mackay Hospital and Health Service now gives both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines.

The Pfizer vaccine is given to people aged 49 years or under and people aged 50 and over receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Mackay HHS has vaccinated more than 2250 people against COVID-19 since March this year.

COVAX lead Julie Rampton said the hospital’s first doses of Pfizer arrived on Wednesday.

“Our COVAX team and pharmacy staff have been working hard to prepare for the vaccine arrival as the storage and administration process is different to AstraZeneca,” the Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery said.

Pharmacy staff had just three minutes to transfer the frozen Pfizer vaccine from dry

ice packaging into a special freezer that stores the vaccine at -80C.

The transfer must be done in a single movement with the freezer unable to be reopened for a minimum of two hours.

Ms Rampton said there was additional training to thaw and dilute the dose.

In April, the Australian Government updated its advice on the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for people under 50.

Ms Rampton said the health service was now ramping up its vaccination clinics to ensure eligible staff and other 1a group members were vaccinated.

“There has already been a strong uptake with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and we are

now looking forward to offering all of our health service staff the opportunity to be

vaccinated,” she said.

“This break has allowed us time to re-train our team of vaccinators and to work out

the logistics of using Pfizer.”

Mackay HHS continues to vaccinate emergency service workers, border security,

meatworkers and other priority groups such as patients with underlying medical

conditions.

To check when you are eligible for a vaccine and your closet vaccine provider visit

https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility

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Originally published as More Mackay healthcare workers to be immunised against COVID-19