South Lismore pharmacy booking Moderna vaccinations from September 25

Anyone between 12 and 59 years of age can access the new vaccine, which will mostly be only available through chemists.

The first batch of Moderna Covid-19 vaccines to arrive in the Northern Rivers will be delivered to pharmacies in just over a week.

Southside Pharmacy’s Kyle Wood said his shop would offer two special clinics for people aged 12 to 17 to get the vaccine on Saturday, September 25, from 12.30pm and 2.30pm.

“The first slot is already booked out, but if there is enough demand, we could continue doing them for a few weeks,” he said.

“We are doing this because, up until now, people in that age range have not been able to access any Covid-19 vaccine.”

Those aged 12 to 59 will be able to access bookings at his pharmacy from Monday, September 27.

“We will be getting 300 doses on the first batch, and then we can order a maximum of 400 every fortnight after that,” he said.

Mr Wood said people must expect their bodies to react to the vaccine.

“All vaccinations, even if they are for flu, Covid or tetanus, are designed to provoke an immune response,” he said.

“Main side effects of all Covid vaccines are fairly similar, you can feel pain, inflammation and soreness at the injection site.

“Fatigue, a slight fever and a headache are also commonly reported.”

Pharmacist Kyle Wood at Lismore Southside Pharmacy in South Lismore says his store will soon be getting the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. Picture: Liana Boss

More than 50 pharmacies have already started to offer Covid-19 Astra Zeneca vaccines from Tweed to Coffs Harbour and will be able to distribute Moderna from now.

The pharmacy was one of the first to start offering AstraZeneca in Lismore last July.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration granted provisional approval for people over the age of 12 to be inoculated with Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine on September 4.

The 10 million Moderna vaccine doses that will be delivered in 2021 to Australia will be rolled out through approved pharmacies and through workplace vaccination only.

GPs will keep administering Astra Zeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

How does it work?

Known as Spikevax and manufactured by Moderna, the vaccine does not contain the virus.

When a person is given the vaccine, some of their cells will read the mRNA instructions within Spikevax and temporarily produce the spike protein that is in the Covid-19 virus.

The person’s immune system will then recognise this protein as foreign, will produce antibodies and will activate white blood cells to attack it.

If the person comes into contact with the Covid-19 virus later, their immune system will recognise it and will be able to defend the body against it.