NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner and CHO Dr Hugh Heggie urge confidence in AstraZeneca COVID-19 jab, receives their first doses

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has urged Territorians to have confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, rolling his sleeve up for his first dose of the AstraZeneca jab.

• COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine arrives in the Northern Territory
• Clinics contacted by the NT News have reported a steady flow of calls from the public wanting to get the vaccine

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has urged Territorians to have confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, rolling his sleeve up for his first dose of the AstraZeneca jab.

Mr Gunner, alongside chief health officer Dr Hugh Heggie, were the first two to receive the jab at Arafura Medical on day 1 of Phase 1b.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner receives the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, with nurse Nizma Tamrakar. Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

Phase 1b, which marks the start of the involvement of GP clinics in the vaccine rollout, is reserved for people 70 or older, people with an underlying health condition, First Nations people over 55, and all other frontline workers.

“One reason why I got AstraZeneca today is to send that very small message of public support for the vaccination, not just Pfizer but the AstraZeneca, too,” Mr Gunner said.

“We can trust the Therapeutic Goods Administration, we’ve got an exceptional health system in Australia, and we can trust our doctors, we can trust the research that they do, we can trust their clinical advice.”

Chief Minister Michael Gunner receives the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

The TGA, Australia’s medicines watchdog, has assured Australian’s that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is safe and that it is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots.

Arafura Medical, which has clinics in Darwin, Palmerston and Humpty Doo, have been inundated with vaccine bookings according to practice manager Pat Crompton.

Ms Crompton, who runs the business with her husband Dr Mike Crompton, said the clinics in Darwin, Palmerston and Humpty Doo were expected to have 100, 50, 400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine a week respectively.

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Jack Ellis receiving his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

Jack Ellis, a former NT News editor, was the third patient at Arafura Medical’s Darwin clinic to receive a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine after he was called up by Dr Crompton.

“(He said) are you interested in having the jab, and I said you better believe it,” Mr Ellis said.

NT Health confirmed that 5083 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, under Phase 1a of the Territory-controlled rollout, had been administered as of March 19.

Of those, 467 were second doses, meaning those people are now fully inoculated against coronavirus.