news, latest-news, Pfizer, vaccine, COVID19, AstraZeneca, South-west, Warrnambool, South West Healthcare, Barwon Health
Barwon Health will host a COVID-19 vaccination hub, with south-west residents eligible to receive the jab as early as March. Barwon Health confirmed on Thursday they will run one of nine Pfizer vaccination hubs across Victoria as part of the initial rollout of the vaccinations across the country. Professor Eugene Athan, Barwon South West public health unit director, said they have established a public health unit to oversee the program “Planning is underway across the region and we will be ready to commence immunisation of high risk groups as soon as supplies of the Pfizer vaccine are received,” he said. “We are well placed to manage the logistics of storage and distribution of the Pfizer product. “We are fortunate to have access to the necessary low temperature freezers, through our research partnership with Deakin University, which is kindly loaning us the necessary equipment. “Our public health unit was established last year and is currently focused on COVID-19, including prevention, testing, tracing and the major task of coordinating the COVID-19 vaccination program. “This team is responsible for the entire Barwon South West region and is working with DHHS and local health providers including the Primary Health Network to co-ordinate the rollout to regional areas, including Warrnambool, Hamilton and Portland.” READ MORE: South-west health services working on vaccination rollout plan The first wave eligible for Pfizer will include immunisation team members, quarantine and border workers, frontline healthcare workers, and staff and residents in aged care and disability care. South West Healthcare is currently working in collaboration with DHHS and Barwon Health unit to commence immunisation of priority groups in Warrnambool, Camperdown and the south-west as early as March, says chief executive Craig Fraser. “Details are still being worked through on the implementation of this large rollout which will commence with the Pfizer vaccine to priority groups,” he said. “Ensuring the processes are consistent and safe across our region, as well as the logistics of vaccinating large groups has meant more planning has been required and we look forward to confirming dates as soon as possible.” Pfizer is expecting to enter fresh talks with the Australian government about providing more doses of the world-leading coronavirus vaccine. The federal government has a deal for enough doses to vaccinate five million people with the vaccine, which received provisional approval earlier in the week. Portland District Health chief executive Chris Giles said health services across the south-west were working hard to secure the vaccines for the region. She said talks are underway to train local medical staff and GP clinics on administering the vaccine. “We’re acting on new information as we get it, it’s a very quick and fluid process,” she said. “We’re planning for both vaccines; Barwon Health will be a Pfizer hub so we’re working out how to distribute the Pfizer vaccine to the approproate risk groups and how to distribute AstraZeneca to the whole population and what the priority process is for that. “For our staff we already have an influenza vaccination group who provide that for our staff every year, whilst it’s a different vaccine process it’s not going to be different for our staff – we have qualified staff here who can do it. “For the wider community we’re still working through who will be doing those programs.” Pfizer Australia medical director Krishan Thiru said the company was on track to deliver vaccines in time for the first jabs to be administered in late February. READ MORE: Pfizer expects talks on more Aussie doses AstraZeneca is due to deliver 1.2 million doses from Europe before CSL pumps out a further 50 million in Melbourne throughout the year. AstraZeneca Australia market access director Alice Morgan said the imports were on track to arrive in late February or early March despite concerns in Europe. New polling shows four in five Australians are willing to be vaccinated, with men keener than women to receive the jab once it becomes available. A Roy Morgan survey of 1648 people found 85 per cent of men and 73 per cent of women would be willing to take it. The overall figure of 79 per cent is two points up from the most recent poll in mid-January, but remains below the high of 87 per cent at the onset of the pandemic. Australian Associated Press RELATED: Have you signed up to The Standard’s daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that’s happening in the south-west.
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South West Healthcare Warrnambool.
Barwon Health will host a COVID-19 vaccination hub, with south-west residents eligible to receive the jab as early as March.
Barwon Health confirmed on Thursday they will run one of nine Pfizer vaccination hubs across Victoria as part of the initial rollout of the vaccinations across the country. Professor Eugene Athan, Barwon South West public health unit director, said they have established a public health unit to oversee the program
“Planning is underway across the region and we will be ready to commence immunisation of high risk groups as soon as supplies of the Pfizer vaccine are received,” he said.
“We are well placed to manage the logistics of storage and distribution of the Pfizer product.
“We are fortunate to have access to the necessary low temperature freezers, through our research partnership with Deakin University, which is kindly loaning us the necessary equipment.
“Our public health unit was established last year and is currently focused on COVID-19, including prevention, testing, tracing and the major task of coordinating the COVID-19 vaccination program.
“This team is responsible for the entire Barwon South West region and is working with DHHS and local health providers including the Primary Health Network to co-ordinate the rollout to regional areas, including Warrnambool, Hamilton and Portland.”
The first wave eligible for Pfizer will include immunisation team members, quarantine and border workers, frontline healthcare workers, and staff and residents in aged care and disability care.
South West Healthcare is currently working in collaboration with DHHS and Barwon Health unit to commence immunisation of priority groups in Warrnambool, Camperdown and the south-west as early as March, says chief executive Craig Fraser.
SWH will commence immunisation of priority groups in Warrnambool, Camperdown and the south-west as early as March, says chief executive Craig Fraser.
“Details are still being worked through on the implementation of this large rollout which will commence with the Pfizer vaccine to priority groups,” he said.
“Ensuring the processes are consistent and safe across our region, as well as the logistics of vaccinating large groups has meant more planning has been required and we look forward to confirming dates as soon as possible.”
Pfizer is expecting to enter fresh talks with the Australian government about providing more doses of the world-leading coronavirus vaccine.
The federal government has a deal for enough doses to vaccinate five million people with the vaccine, which received provisional approval earlier in the week.
Portland District Health chief executive Chris Giles said health services across the south-west were working hard to secure the vaccines for the region.
Portland District Health CEO Chris Giles. Picture: Morgan Hancock
She said talks are underway to train local medical staff and GP clinics on administering the vaccine.
“We’re acting on new information as we get it, it’s a very quick and fluid process,” she said.
“We’re planning for both vaccines; Barwon Health will be a Pfizer hub so we’re working out how to distribute the Pfizer vaccine to the approproate risk groups and how to distribute AstraZeneca to the whole population and what the priority process is for that.
“For our staff we already have an influenza vaccination group who provide that for our staff every year, whilst it’s a different vaccine process it’s not going to be different for our staff – we have qualified staff here who can do it.
“For the wider community we’re still working through who will be doing those programs.”
Pfizer Australia medical director Krishan Thiru said the company was on track to deliver vaccines in time for the first jabs to be administered in late February.
AstraZeneca is due to deliver 1.2 million doses from Europe before CSL pumps out a further 50 million in Melbourne throughout the year.
AstraZeneca Australia market access director Alice Morgan said the imports were on track to arrive in late February or early March despite concerns in Europe.
New polling shows four in five Australians are willing to be vaccinated, with men keener than women to receive the jab once it becomes available.
A Roy Morgan survey of 1648 people found 85 per cent of men and 73 per cent of women would be willing to take it.
The overall figure of 79 per cent is two points up from the most recent poll in mid-January, but remains below the high of 87 per cent at the onset of the pandemic.
Australian Associated Press
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