Pfizer jab super clinic at Goondiwindi Hospital wins support of region’s heavyweights

‘Frankly, there’s no legitimate reason not to’: Southern Downs public figures have joined thousands in rolling up their sleeves for the COVID vaccine amid fierce calls for better access to the jab in regional communities.

A number of Southern Downs public figures have joined thousands of residents in taking advantage of a Pfizer vaccination super clinic amid renewed calls for better access to the jab in regional areas.

More than 2400 doses of the COVID vaccine have been administered since the pop-up clinic at Goondiwindi Hospital opened on Sunday, with all attendees booked in for their second dose three weeks from that date.

The joint initiative from Darling Downs Health and Goondiwindi Regional Council was open to all residents aged 16 and up across the region and into northern NSW, only excluding those who were already vaccinated against COVID.

Member for Southern Downs James Lister was among those rolling up their sleeves for the first dose of Pfizer and praised healthcare workers for their speed and efficiency in vaccinating such high numbers.

“I have had a lot of positive feedback from the community, and have found that people are generally accepting of the benefits of vaccination for themselves and the wider community,” Mr Lister said.

“The clinic in Goondiwindi closes (Thursday) afternoon and I think there is still unmet demand there.

“When the vaccination is available in Warwick, I encourage people to get the jab for their own sake and for the sake of the wider fight against COVID … we owe it to future generations to get immunised and get on top of COVID now.”

2020 Southern Downs Labor candidate and Goondiwindi resident Joel Richters after receiving his first dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Picture: contributed / Joel Richters

2020 Southern Downs Labor candidate and Goondiwindi resident Joel Richters also took the opportunity to get the jab this week and agreed additional supplies of the vaccine were urgently required to protect the community.

“There’s no doubt this has been a good example of how it can be done well in a rural community, and hopefully this is the first of many to come,” Mr Richters said.

“We’ve had such a lucky response to COVID … now the community is saying very clearly that enough is enough, we need to get vaccines so we can get back to our next stage of returning to normal life.”

The enthusiastic response from so many Goondiwindi residents was a relief for Mayor Lawrence Springborg in the wake of yet another snap lockdown across much of southeast Queensland.

“(Lockdowns) take a toll on our state, it takes a toll across the nation, it’s a toll on our economy – governments have borrowed hundreds of billions of dollars to keep the place functioning and there’s a limit to how much they can do that.

“There’s a small number of people who can’t be vaccinated for medical reasons, but frankly the rest of us have no legitimate reason not to.”

Darling Downs Health emergency operations executive lead Annette Scott thanked everyone who got vaccinated for “protecting (themselves), their loved ones, and the broader community”.

More than 20,000 COVID vaccinations have been administered at Queensland Health facilities within the Darling Downs region, including 593 and 275 at Warwick and Stanthorpe Hospitals respectively.