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NSW announces three new mass vaccination hubs and pharmacy pilot plan
By Lucy Carroll and Lucy Cormack
Three new mass vaccination centres that could double the number of inoculations delivered in NSW each week are set to open in Sydney and Wollongong.
The new sites will be at a former David Jones building on Crown Street in Wollongong, a building in Macquarie Fields in Sydney’s south-west and a major hub in Pitt Street in Sydney’s CBD.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant tour the mass vaccination hub at Sydney Olympic Park in April.Credit: Louise Kennerley
“We envisage that once these centres are up and running, that NSW Health will be able to administer up to 200,000 vaccines a week. At the moment we’re doing [up to] 110,000, which is a great achievement,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Thursday.
“The challenge will be having all hands on deck.”
They are in addition to the state’s existing hub at Sydney Olympic Park, plus a second mass vaccination centre in the Hunter Region, due to open within weeks.
The new sites add to the existing 100 vaccination clinics operating.
“In NSW, we have a sense of urgency about getting jabs in arms because, once the vast majority of our population is vaccinated, we can start a conversation about reaching a ‘covid-normal’ state,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The government is yet to outline when the new hubs will be online, but it is expected it will align with the arrival of new supplies of Pfizer.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new sites would be staffed by hundreds of NSW Health staff.
The Pitt Street hub is expected to be close to light and heavy rail lines that will serve city workers and residents through extended opening hours.
People queue for COVID-19 vaccinations at the NSW Health Vaccination Centre at Sydney Olympic Park.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Mr Hazzard said the rapid development of sites was a credit to the hard work of local staff in health districts across the state.
“NSW is increasing access to vaccination in ever-expanding numbers of local communities, with hundreds of NSW Health staff expected to be on site at the opened clinics,” Mr Hazzard said.
Each NSW Health mass vaccination centre will follow advice by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) and administer AstraZeneca to people aged 60 years and over and Pfizer to people 40 years and over.
The NSW government will also establish a large clinic in the heart of Sydney in preparation for a larger supply of Pfizer vaccines, boosting the NSW contribution to the federal government’s vaccine rollout.
The Wollongong mass vaccination hub will be in an old David Jones store in Crown Street Mall.Credit: Google StreetView
NSW Health has 100 vaccination clinics and outreach locations across the state.
In addition, 22 pharmacies across regional and rural NSW will begin administering the AstraZeneca vaccines as part of a pilot program from July 19.
People aged 60 and over will be able to receive vaccines at pharmacies where access to a GP or vaccine clinic is limited.
The new South Western Sydney Vaccination Centre will open at Glenquarie Town Centre in Macquarie Fields at the end of July.
Ms Berejiklian said, “We are having conversations about how we can scale up [the pharmacy rollout] as soon as possible, but obviously we’ve got to discuss issues with consent, and other things [but] we’re really keen to get them on board.”
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