Lack of GPs in Katherine spells weeks-long wait for residents to receive COVID-19 vaccine

THE residents of a Top End town will have to wait at least several weeks before they can receive the coronavirus vaccine locally because of the town’s lack of a permanent GP practice

KATHERINE residents will have to wait at least several weeks before they can receive the coronavirus vaccine locally because of the town’s lack of a permanent GP practice.

An NT Health spokeswoman said that in Katherine, Phase 1b of the vaccine rollout – which started in Darwin and Alice Springs on Monday – would eventually be administered at a community vaccine clinic because there were no local GP practices with the capacity to deliver the program.

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It comes after Katherine has not had a permanent GP clinic for all residents since private practice Gorge Health closed in October.

While two clinics are due to open soon, neither was operational in time to apply for the federal government-run expressions of interest process, which closed in February.

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The Katherine community vaccine clinic, which will be run and staffed by NT Health, is set to open in several weeks.

No site has been decided yet.

Community vaccine clinics will also be set up in Tennant Creek and Gove.