Fast track ‘lanes’ created at Mackay Showgrounds to quadruple region’s vaccination rate
What you need to know about the new one-stop-shop vaccination centre aiming to ‘ramp up’ jabs across the Mackay region.
Mackay
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A new hub has been fitted out to quadruple the number of Mackay residents getting their Covid-19 jabs.
In the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac region, 13,000 people are fully immunised against coronavirus with a further 34,800 partially-vaccinated.
Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert said the 500 Pavilion building at Mackay Showgrounds would be the centrepoint for Queensland Health vaccinations come Monday, replacing the CQUniversity hub.
Mrs Gilbert said Mackay Hospital and Health Service staff had worked tirelessly to set up the bays with the showground providing easy access, including by bus.
MHHS nursing and midwifery executive director Julie Rampton said they were hoping to “ramp up” vaccinations from about 250 per day to 1000.
Ms Rampton said they were encouraging those in the 1A and 1B eligibility groups to get their vaccines “as quickly as possible”.
“For the rest of the community, (go) to the eligibility checker and register for your vaccine,” Ms Rampton said.
She said the new hub would help ease the five-week backlog of people waiting for vaccinations and assured the community the dose was free-of-charge and available to anyone even without a Medicare card or a visa.
Ms Rampton said they were currently receiving about 2500 doses per week but expected this to rise towards the end of September.
“The Commonwealth are the ones that distribute the vaccines to the state then we have a command centre that allocates accordingly to all of the regions in Queensland,” Ms Rampton said.
“It’s based on quite a complicated formula based on priorities and population numbers.
“At the moment we have enough to fill all of our CQU spots and our rural clinics and for the second doses for people who are due.”
Ms Rampton said there also had been discussions about securing the Moderna Covid-19 vaccines.
The Showgrounds vaccination hub will open 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, from Monday, August 2.
You can register for a vaccine via Queensland Health’s website.
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