The 11 hospitals in NSW that will be administering the first Covid vaccines as Germany blocks AstraZeneca for over 65s because it hasn’t been ‘tested enough’
- The first round of Pfizer vaccines will be administered from 11 NSW hospitals
- Vaccine hubs will be set up because the doses need to be stored at -70C
- Aged care residents and quarantine workers will be among the first recipients
The first round of Covid-19 vaccinations will be administered from 11 New South Wales hospitals from the end of February.
Vaccination hubs for Phase 1a of the Pfizer jab will include Sydney’s Prince Alfred hospital, Westmead hospital, Liverpool hospital, Hornsby hospital, St George hospital and the Nepean hospital.
Doses will also be administered at rural hospitals in Newcastle, Wollongong, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga.
The first round of Covid-19 vaccinations will be administered from 11 New South Wales hospitals from the end of February. Pictured: A woman receives a Covid vaccine in Finland
The AstraZeneca is also ‘on track’ to roll out in late-February, but German scientists have warned it should be given to patients over 65 – a claim disputed by UK medical authorities.
With limited doses available until mid year in Australia, the first round of vaccines will go to healthcare, aged care and quarantine workers as well as those living in aged care and nursing homes.
Deputy chief medical officer Michael Kidd said the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored below -70C, making it difficult to transport.
Outreach teams will be set up at each hub to oversee the rollout and bring recipients into the hospitals.
Australia is scheduled to receive 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine manufactured in Belgium.
But Pfizer Australia and New Zealand managing director Louise Graham is hopeful a ramp up in production will result in even more.
‘As Pfizer is now scaling up and looking to produce far more than was originally expected, we expect to be in future discussions about the ability to increase that (allocation),’ she told a Senate committee on Thursday.
More to come.
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