City’s aged care homes to receive first doses of Pfizer vaccine

Toowoomba’s aged care residents will be some of the first people to receive the Pfizer vaccine in the city, as the Federal Government COVID-19 rollout begins.

The first Toowoomba aged care residents are set to receive the Pfizer vaccine tomorrow morning, as the Federal Government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout begins.

Last week it was announced that residential aged care facilities in Glenvale, South Toowoomba, Kearney Springs, Toowoomba and Harristown were on the list for week one distribution, alongside dozens of towns across the state.

Phase 1a of the rollout will include aged care staff and residents, frontline healthcare workers, border and quarantine workers and disability care residents and their staff.

The news comes a day after the state’s first vaccinations were distributed to frontline workers at the Gold Coast’s vaccination hub.

Director of Infectious Diseases and Immunology at Gold Coast University Hospital, John Gerard, said he “woke up with 3am with goosebumps” yesterday morning.

“It’s the most exciting day of my career,” Dr Gerard told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

As the vaccination program begins, Toowoomba’s GPs and other health services are preparing for Phase 1b, which is planned to start in mid-March.

One of these is the Carbal Medical Services.

“Early next month, free vaccines will be available to everyone in our region from the Carbal-led Toowoomba Vaccine Clinic at 18-24 Charnley Street,” a post on the Carbal Medical group’s Facebook page read.

“To keep their families and communities safe, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults will be able to get their vaccine soon after the first priority group, such as health workers and quarantine and border workers.”