COVID-19 vaccination road map: Who gets the first jabs?

DETAILS of the vaccination rollout have been released by Healthy North Coast.

The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine is loaded into a syringe ahead of use on eligible people identified by homeless service agencies from the parking lot of the L.A. Mission on February 24, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP)

The Federal Government's Healthy North Coast has released population health data details of their vaccination road map as the first Pfizer/BioNTech COPVID-19 vaccinations in the region rolled out this week.

While people living at seven Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) in Ballina/Alstonville were among the first on the Northern Rivers to be vaccinated against the pandemic, HNC said it has analysed population health data and primary care availability to assess the service provision required to support Australia's COVID-19 Vaccine Roadmap.

A HNC spokesman said in line with national and global instances, the availability of the first COVID-19 vaccines in the region is a welcome start to the vaccination program that will help to safeguard our communities against the continuing threat of COVID-19.

The spokesman said HCN is using modelling to assess areas of high need and advise the Australian Government on recommended priority areas.

He said the most populous North Coast LGA is Tweed Heads with 94,857 residents, followed by Port Macquarie-Hastings with 81,404 residents.

"Analysis of the North Coast regional population data shows Nambucca Valley and Port Macquarie-Hastings LGAs have the highest proportion of over 65-year-olds (with) 27 per cent of all residents in these areas aged over 65, compared with a regional average of 23 per cent," he said.

"When combining population size and age distribution, both Port Macquarie and Tweed Heads are the highest volume centres for aged populations."

HCN said across the North Coast region, the highest population requirement for vaccine delivery by phase will be Phase 2a which covers people aged 60 - 69.

North Coast populations/over 65 by LGA

Tweed Valley, 94,857 - 25 per cent

Port Macquarie-Hastings, 81,404 - 27 per cent

Coffs Harbour, 75,503 - 21 per cent

Clarence Valley, 51,570 - 25 per cent

Lismore, 43,905 - 18 per cent

Ballina, 43,457 - 25 per cent

Byron, 33,987 - 17 per cent

Kempsey, 29,534 - 23 per cent

Richmond Valley, 23,317 - 22 per cent

Nambucca Valley, 19,688 - 27 per cent

Bellingen, 12,946 - 23 per cent

Kyogle, 8,979 - 23 per cent