Northern Territory GP clinics where you can book your COVID jab from today

FROM today eligible Territorians will be able to make an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine from a GP. CHECK HERE to see if your medical clinic or GP is on the list

FROM today eligible Territorians will be able to make an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine from a GP.

Six million Aussies will be able to make an appointment to get a vaccine from a general practitioner as the next stage of the rollout begins.

The NT News can reveal the names of the first GP clinics who will begin delivering the AstraZeneca jabs under stage 1B of the rollout from next Monday.

Demand for the shots is so high some of the clinics are already completely booked out for the first week of vaccine delivery.

“We’re only getting 100 vaccines a week and last week we sent a text to people who were eligible and booked out in the first hour,” Susan Karakostas , operations manager at the Hanover Street Medical Centre in Melbourne’s Oakleigh, said.

Most clinics have been allocated just 50 vaccine doses a week and Health Minister Greg Hunt is urging people to be patient as we wait for one million locally produced vaccines to roll off the assembly line later this month.

Dr Julia Wellala Godage of the Blair Athol Medical Clinic is taking part in the rollout.

The number of GP practices able to deliver vaccines will progressively expand to more than 4,000 by the end of April.

“No-one will miss out, whether they live in a city or country town or a very remote area.,” Mr Hunt told the NT News.

“Vaccines are the game changer in our fight against the COVID-19 virus and I urge everyone in Australia to come forward and get vaccinated when they are able to,” he said.

Ashby Medical Centre is Sydney’s Penshurst is one of the first GP clinics to deliver COVID-19 vaccines.

Nearly three million Australians aged over 70, healthcare workers, people with some chronic medical conditions, those with a disability, Aboriginal people aged over 55 and 200,000 people working in defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing will be eligible for the jabs from next week.

Mr Hunt will today launch a website listing 10 clinics in the NT, 338 in NSW, 285 in Victoria, 247 in Queensland, 87 in Western Australia, 84 in South Australia, 36 in Tasmania, and 18 in the ACT.

Even if you are not a patient of the practices listed you will be able to make an appointment at these clinics who must give appointments on a first come first served basis.

Before making an appointment people are being urged to check whether they are eligible to get a vaccine at this stage of the rollout.

Appointments can be made via a National Booking Service that can be accessed from the Department of Health’s website or by directly ringing the practices listed on the vaccine clinic finder on the same website.

Before making an appointment people are being urged to check whether they are eligible to get a vaccine at this stage of the rollout using Department of Health’s eligibility checker.

Patients attending an unfamiliar the practice to receive the vaccine they will need to take along documents such as a driver’s licence or passport that proves their age or a letter from their doctor outlining they have a medical condition that qualifies them for the vaccine.

Government issued documents from Medicare or Centrelink that list a person’s age will also be accepted as proof.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Australia’s medical watchdog, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly and the World Health Organisation yesterday reassured Australians the AstraZeneca vaccine that will be used in the new stage of the rollout is safe after major European countries have halted use of the shot over fears it could cause blood clots.

“Extensive international experience does not indicate an increased risk of blood clots associated with the vaccine. Blood clots can occur naturally and are not uncommon,” the Therapeutic Goods Administration said in a statement.

Former Liberal MP now independent Craig Kelly from Sydney and Queensland senator Matt Canavan yesterday called on Australia to pause its use of this vaccine.

Nucleus Network medical director Paul Griffin who has conducted clinical trials of multiple COVID-19 vaccines said blood clots“were actually fewer in the vaccinated group than in those that had not received the vaccine,” in clinical trials, he said.

Of more than 17 million people vaccinated only 15 events developed deep vein thrombosis and 22 had a pulmonary embolism.

“This is much lower than would be expected in a population of this size and is similar to other COVID-19 vaccines,” he said.