Toowoomba to receive Phase 1a Pfizer vaccine in coming weeks

The first vials of the Pfizer vaccine have landed in Australia and will be in Toowoomba sooner than you’d think – here’s when.

Despite being skipped for a vaccination hub, the Federal Government has given assurances that Toowoomba residents will receive Phase 1a of the Pfizer vaccine rollout at the same time as metro areas.

With the first doses landing on Australian shores yesterday, the six Queensland vaccination hubs, located in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton and Cairns, prepared for imminent deliveries.

The first jabs are set to be administered at the hubs on February 22, according to the plan outlined by Health Minister Greg Hunt.

Rural Doctors Association of Australia president John Hall said while there had been concern on the availability of the Pfizer vaccine in rural and regional communities, the Federal Government had set the record straight yesterday.

“Initially we had some concerns that there may not have been a timely rollout of Pfizer for Phase 1a in regional and rural areas,” Dr Hall said.

“We received confirmation from the Federal Government (yesterday) that there will be no disadvantage for regional and rural Australia and that Pfizer will be rolled out and delivered to those areas at the same time as the metro areas.

“It will be coming to the hospitals and aged care facilities and it will go to the frontline care workers first.”

Although the Pfizer vaccine must be stored at -70 degrees to maintain its integrity, which had been flagged as a potential issue for a rural rollout, Dr Hall said the vaccine could be transported under normal storage conditions.

“In Queensland, it was interesting that places like Toowoomba didn’t get a hub,” he said.

“For long term storage, the Pfizer vaccine must remain at -70 degrees, but in the short term, it can stay under normal storage conditions for up to five days.

“So what they’ve been saying is that from the Pfizer hubs, it will be pushed out to the regional and rural sites from there.

“There’s no reason why it couldn’t be dispatched from Pfizer hubs in Brisbane out to Toowoomba and further west as need be and we’re expecting that to occur through teams coming out to vaccinate people in these areas.”

Dr Hall said it was unclear whether people could travel from Toowoomba into one of the central hubs to receive the vaccine.

“We’ve been told there will be teams coming out, we are unsure that there will be a combination of the two,” he said.

“It’s highly likely there will be an option for health care workers who are mobile to go to a hub and get vaccinated.

“I think, particularly in aged care where residents aren’t mobile, there will have to be teams going out.”

Also the Director of Medical Services for Ochre Health, Dr Hall said his GP clinics were in the process of becoming vaccination clinics.

These include the Ochre medical centres at Toowoomba, Kingsthorpe and Oakey.

“GP practices have had to put in an expression of interest with the government to be able to become vaccination clinics,” Dr Hall said.

“Most GP surgeries are well catered to do this, because we’ve been doing flu vaccines and other vaccines for years.

“It’s going to place a fair demand on GP practices and not all practices will have the capacity to be able to take on that additional burden.

“We have put in expressions of interest for all 49 of our sites, and we’re quite confident they will be accepted as vaccination sites.”

Dr Hall said GP clinics across the country would facilitate other phases of the rollout and would be supplied with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is expected in Australia in mid-March.

Rollout Phases

Phase 1a: Quarantine and border workers, frontline health care worker subgroups, aged care and disability care staff, aged care and disability care residents

Phase 1b: Elderly adults aged 70 years plus, other health care workers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people > 55, younger adults with an underlying medical condition, high risk workers including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing

Phase 2a: Adults aged 50-69 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18-54 years

Phase 2b: Adult population

Phase 3: Under 16 years if recommended