Burleigh Cove Respiratory Clinic to receive hundreds of Pfizer doses under federal deal
A Gold Coast clinic will start administering Pfizer jabs in coming days after scoring its first shipment ahead of schedule, despite warnings patients may have to wait months. ALL THE DETAILS >>>
Gold Coast
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A GOLD Coast clinic has had its first shipment of Pfizer vaccines a week early, despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk claiming residents face waiting months to get their first jab.
The Burleigh Cove Respiratory Clinic, opened April last year to support COVID testing numbers, has 240 doses ready for eligible patients and plans to start administering on Sunday.
Managing director Heather McLellan-Johnson said the clinic had an ongoing agreement with Federal Government and would get the same number of doses each week until further notice.
Early delivery on Wednesday evening was a “pleasant surprise,” she said.
“We actually thought it would potentially be coming more towards the middle of July,” Ms McLellan-Johnson said.
“Our team is just about to make this public knowledge; we have some of our immune comprised patients booked in already so we’re expecting it to become very busy.”
More than 139,000 Queenslanders have registered for the in-demand jab, as the state’s supply of Pfizer from the federal government now sits at 65,000 doses a week.
Ms Palaszczuk said this week those now booking their first Pfizer jab may have to wait until October or November due to Federal supply.
Ms McLellan-Johnson said: “We have a contract with Federal Government and because we have the respiratory clinic, they’ve given us the doses as a priority.”
She expects bookings for the jab will be snapped up quickly as demand – and preference – for the Pfizer vaccine continues to soar.
Despite this, Ms McLellan-Johnson said there had not been a dip in bookings for AstraZeneca and appointments were still fully booked well in advance.
“Our demographic (that we serve) is pretty much the whole community for AstraZeneca, we’ve seen over 60s and healthcare works, immunocompromised.
“It’s really important people who want the vaccine and who are eligible use the HotDoc app to book their appointment. They’ll have better access to what’s available.”
CLINICS STRUGGLE FOR APPOINTMENTS
For appointments at a Queensland Health centre, you must register online and wait to be contacted with an appointment time and location.
SICK Gold Coasters are battling to make appointments with their GPs because people desperate to book a COVID vaccine are clogging up the phone lines.
Dr Kat McLean, of Haan Health in Broadbeach, is among GPs urging people not to make unnecessary COVID vaccine related phone calls. Vulnerable patients or those who needed urgent care were struggling to get through to make appointments, she said.
“Our staff have been inundated with calls from people wanting to book for the vaccine, with phones ringing off the hook,” she said.
“We are already stretched and this extra pressure is making it harder for not only doctors but medical staff,” she said.
“GP clinics have been working hard to identify their most vulnerable patients and will be proactively reaching out to them,” she said, adding they were expecting increasing vaccination availability in coming weeks.
“The Commonwealth plan has been to start (immunisations) from next week, but online booking processes are yet to be confirmed with clinics.
“Sit tight. Please don’t phone the GP clinics or hospital. Keep an eye out for the online booking site, more information is coming.”
The warning comes after the Federal Government shared a vaccine clinic finder on its website on Wednesday morning, giving people the ability to search for locations using their postcodes.
“My understanding is it’s (the vaccine rollout) starting with the city’s four respiratory clinics then following with GP clinics, but we don’t have the finer details yet. We are also still waiting for the vaccine and vaccines fridges,” she said.
“It terms of supply, it’s very difficult to be booking people if we don’t have a supply of the vaccine on us.”
It’s understood respiratory clinics at Hope Island, Upper Coomera, Nerang and Burleigh Waters will be the first sites Gold Coasters can access the vaccine from March 22.
Dr McLean said GPs were more than happy for patients to book “regular” appointments and ask any questions they had about the vaccine.
Gold Coast Primary Health Network chairman Dr Roger Halliwell said practices had been advised to hold off taking bookings until the vaccine arrived later this week.
“Most practices already have a list of vulnerable patients ready to go for the first four weeks’ allocation,” he said.
“Respiratory clinics will also have vaccine and of course they have no regular patients so are potentially able to see those enthusiastic individuals in 1B who want it sooner — particularly healthcare workers.
“But they have not received vaccine, or their vaccine fridges, or the promised upgraded software to allow bookings.”
Dr Halliwell said this meant most Gold Coast practices would get five AstraZeneca vaccine vials - containing 40 doses - per week. A few would receive 10 vials with 80 doses and a handful 40 vials - with 320 - per week.
“We hope availability will increase in late April,” he said.
GPS REASSURE PATIENTS THEY WON’T MISS OUT ON VACCINE -March 11
PANICKED locals are calling GPs concerned they’ll miss out on the COVID vaccine because of a shortfall of needles or syringes, but health officials say there’s plenty of supply.
Bulletin readers have also been quick to respond, with an overwhelming number of comments on the “Question of the day” on Facebook, which asked if anyone was worried about the vaccine rollout.
Allison Kashian Fragnito wrote: “What a crock. Far out.”
Sonia Ivanovski was among those who didn’t hold any fears.
“NO we are not concerned,” she wrote.
Michelle Nel went one step further: “Hmm I call BS ...nobody I know wants it.”
Adam Hilsley was among those who hold grave fears.
“Im worried it would kill me or make my health worse.”
READ ALL THE COMMENTS AND JOIN THE CONVERSATION HERE
Heather McLellan-Johnson from Burleigh Cove Respiratory Clinic and Medical on Miami, on March 10 said she had received an influx of call from patients upset at having to wait so long to get the vaccine.
“There is no point in panicking. The way I look at it is Australia has very good processes and control while battling the outbreak of COVID-19. We need to remain patient,” she said.
The Astrazenca vaccine is expected to be rolled out at respiratory clinics and selected GP clinics from March 22, with more practices rolling out the vaccine each week until the majority have supply.
FULL DIGITAL ACCESS: JUST $1 FOR FIRST 28 DAYS
Gold Coast Primary Health Network (GCPHN) chairman Dr Roger Halliwell said that when a medical practice was delivered its supply of the vaccine, it would also receive the necessary tools to administer it.
“If a clinic gets 50 doses of the vaccine, which is what most will receive weekly, they will also be delivered the syringes and needles necessary to administer the vaccine,” he said.
“There is certainly no need for Gold Coasters to be concerned, administering vaccines is core business for GPs.”
Dr Halliwell said of the 150 or so medical practices across the city, none had signalled to the GCPHN that they would not be taking part in the vaccine rollout.
“No one has to be involved in this, but people may find for business reasons it just doesn’t work because they may not have the staff to do it or they may not have a vaccine fridge,” he said.
“Most of the practices I’ve spoken to, and that’s several dozen, will make it work one way or another. I’m not aware of any Gold Coast practice that has said they aren’t going to offer the vaccine to their patients.”
SAFETY BLITZ REVEALS WORKERS AT RISK OF SILICA DUST
Once all frontline health workers are vaccinated, stage 1b will rollout and includes adults aged 70 years to 89 years, healthcare workers, First Nations People with an underlying medical condition, and critical and high risk workers.
Ms McLellan-Johnson said the government would be cracking down on rules around who could and could not get vaccinated and the timing of it.
“If you’re a young adult with medical issues, we recommend coming in with some kind of medical proof. It will make the vaccine rollout run more smoothly,” she said.
Dr Sonu Haikerwel, of the Upper Coomera Respiratory Clinic and Haan Health Medical Centre in Broadbeach said there was no need to panic because the government had stockpiled supplies needed to administer the COVID vaccine.
“My team is committed, if we get 800 doses a week, we will be putting 800 doses a week into arms, we won’t waste one dose,” said Mr Haikerwall, who had the COVID vaccine on Tuesday.
COAST LOCALS TO GET COVID VACCINE FROM MARCH 22 – MARCH 9
The Upper Coomera (Haan Health) Respiratory Clinic will roll out the AstraZeneca vaccine on March 22, one of the first Gold Coast medical practices to get the green light.
Owner Dr Sonu Haikerwal said Haan Health’s Broadbeach Medical Centre was also approved to offer the COVID vaccine. The respiratory clinic will have the capacity to administer 800 doses a week, with the medical centre able to deliver 50 doses.
Last week the federal government’s Health Department wrote to the city’s 150 registered medical practices, who put in an expression of interest, advising they could be a part of the Phase 1b rollout. It includes older people and those with certain underlying health conditions.
Gold Coast Primary Health Network’s Dr Roger Halliwell said he understood the majority of the Gold Coast’s medical centres were interested in taking part in the rollout.
During the first week, at this stage March 22, it’s believed only 20 per cent of medical centres at various locations across the city will receive the vaccine.
This staggered rollout will continue, with another 20 per cent of centres on board in week two. It is expected to take four weeks until 80 per cent of approved Gold Coast medical practices offer the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The number of doses each medical centre gets will vary, but it’s understood instead of a few locations having 1000 doses, it will be spread more evenly, with the majority of practices receiving 50 doses a week.
Dr Halliwell said medical practices would have the choice in regards to whether they had the time and resources to set up their clinic to administer the vaccine.
In order to be eligible a checklist must be completed, including making sure each staff member giving the vaccine had a six-hour training module online.
“Some medical centres may not see it as worth their while for 50 doses, but then others may do so in order to ensure patients have the option to get the vaccine with their usual GP,” he said.
Originally published as Burleigh Cove Respiratory Clinic to receive hundreds of Pfizer doses under federal deal
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