Country chemists to give out AstraZeneca Covid vaccines to South Australians over 50

The AstraZeneca Covid vaccine will soon be administered at country chemists. Almost 100 regional pharmacies will be supplied within weeks – and the city is likely to follow.

Country South Australians aged over 50 will be able to have their coronavirus jab at a local chemist under plans to significantly boost the state’s vaccine rollout.

In a major milestone, the state government will on Thursday announce nearly 100 regional and remote pharmacies will start administering AstraZeneca doses within weeks.

Premier Steven Marshall said the country pharmacy plan was designed to make it “easier for people to be vaccinated”.

SA Health is negotiating vaccine supply with commonwealth officials, who are expected to sign off on the plans next month.

There are 14 pharmacies in regional SA towns with no medical clinic or facility within 10km.

Another 39 are located in rural areas with just one medical clinic that may offer Covid vaccines.

SA Health plans to expand the program to 200 Adelaide chemists if it is successful.

Country South Australians aged over 50 will be able to have their coronavirus jab at a local chemist under plans to significantly boost the state’s vaccine rollout.

It is also looking at whether Pfizer jabs can be given to people aged under 49 at pharmacies.

SA Health chief pharmacist Naomi Burgess said there had been a “great response” to the plan from the state’s pharmacy sector, which was “very keen to be involved … playing their part in the rollout of this vital vaccine”.

Pharmacy Guild of SA president Nick Panayiaris said pharmacists were trusted by patients and would help address vaccine hesitancy with accurate medical information.

“The more hands on deck, the better,” Mr Panayiaris said.

Latest SA Health data shows 41,179 AstraZeneca vials are stockpiled, along with 71,390 Pfizer doses. The rollout, which has come under fire for being sluggish, has administered 427,703 jabs – with 37 per cent by SA Health.

Federal figures show more than a quarter of the SA adult population is immunised. SA Health wants at least 80 per cent inoculated by October.

In a joint statement, Mr Marshall and Health Minister Stephen Wade urged people to “roll up and get vaccinated”.

Mr Wade said being vaccinated was “our doorway out of the pandemic”.

He said the country chemist plan made sense because pharmacies successfully gave flu jabs and had the resources to help.

“We want to do everything we can to ensure the Covid-19 vaccine is readily accessible for all South Australians,” he said.

SA Health on Wednesday night issued an alert over an infectious Sydney airline crew driver, aged in his 60s, who visited multiple exposure sites near his Bondi home. Anyone who visited these sites must immediately test and self-isolate before a negative result.

It also reported four sick travellers, including two girls – one aged under 10 and a teenager – and a man in his 40s from the same family.

Victorian restrictions will be eased despite three new cases.

Originally published as Country chemists to give out AstraZeneca Covid vaccines to South Australians over 50