Minister says no jabs are going to waste, following reported ‘vaccine shopping’

Health Minister Natasha Fyles has moved to reassure Territorians no Covid-19 jabs are going to waste after a medical clinic reported ‘vaccine shopping’ was leaving it swamped with cancellations.

UPDATE: HEALTH Minister Natasha Fyles has moved to reassure Territorians no Covid-19 jabs are going to waste after a medical clinic reported “vaccine shopping” was leaving it swamped with cancellations.

Arafura Medical Clinic practice manager Pat Crompton said tourists were booking appointments to get the jab and not turning up, leaving her “with unused doses and overstocked”.

”A lot of people that are not our own patients are vaccine shopping, where they can fit it in the best with their travels which we can’t accommodate that,” she said.

“You book them in and they don’t show up because they’re probably already on their way to Dundee Beach.

“We’re still alright, we haven’t had to chuck any of them yet but we better not have too many more no-shows.

“I’ll hand them over to another surgery before I’ll dispose of them, that’d be my first port of call.”

But Ms Fyles said while cancellations were not ideal, “no vaccine wastage has been recorded at NT Health vaccine clinics”.

“The feedback from the clinic isn’t consistent with what we’re seeing across the Territory, where we’re putting every dose of Pfizer we can get into arms,” she said.

“But we do urge people — ‘if you make an appointment, please show up.

“Otherwise you’re taking a spot away from someone else who will take it’.

Ms Fyles said Territorians were “the best in the Australia at getting the jab”, with appointments being booked “at a rapid pace”.

“The vaccine is safe, it’s free and it’s effective,” she said.

“It saves lives. Get the jab for yourself, your family and your community.”

EARLIER: A MEDICAL centre in Darwin is urging residents to book in their Covid-19 vaccine, with a doctor stating they had “stacks of stock and no arms to put it in” — including Pfizer — because people were not showing up for their appointments.

Dr Lionel Crompton at Arafura Medical Clinics said the clinic had many doses of Covid vaccines — including hundreds of Pfizer doses — available because people had missed appointments.

Dr Crompton told ABC Darwin people had booked in for their jab weeks ago and not shown up at their allocated time.

Appointments are allocated in 15 minute slots.

“People don’t adhere to times they said they’d come along … we just do the best and sometimes it gets a bit raggedy in there,” he said.

“The main thing is to get your shots, get protected, get relaxed and vaxxed and protect yourself and the rest of the community.

“Roll up folks.”

Arafura Medical Clinics provide family health care services throughout Darwin and surrounding areas.

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