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Rollout plan: First hospitals, aged homes to get vaccine revealed

Thousands of aged care residents across more than 190 Australian towns and suburbs will be vaccinated against coronavirus in the first week of jabs.

Feb 18, 2021, updated Feb 18, 2021
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says vaccine rollouts to the disability sector must step up. (Photo: Reuters: Gareth Fuller)

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says vaccine rollouts to the disability sector must step up. (Photo: Reuters: Gareth Fuller)

Regional and urban locations in all states and territories have been chosen, with about 240 nursing homes included for the initial week of vaccinations, which is set to kick off on Monday.

In addition, there will be 16 Pfizer vaccine hubs in major cities where frontline quarantine and health workers will be vaccinated as part of the initial phase.

Health workers will be dispatched to vaccinate all aged care and disability residents over the next six weeks.

Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy said Australia had the advantage of having no community transmission of the virus.

“We don’t have a burning platform. It is OK to take four or five weeks to vaccinate all the aged care residents,” he said.

The department chose the locations based on logistics, achieving a mix between the regions and cities, and infection risk.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the target was for 60,000 doses to be administered in the first week.

“Right across Australia, every state and territory, rural and regional, and urban areas will be covered,” he said.

“It has to start somewhere and it has to finish somewhere, but this is the beginning of the process.”

Mr Hunt named a sample of the residential aged care locations which include Alice Springs, Penrith and Ballarat.

Professor Murphy said there was room to change the rollout if coronavirus affected a particular area.

“If we had an outbreak we might change the schedule, but there is no impending serious risk at the moment which is a great position to be in,” he said.

The government expects a small amount of wastage of the precious doses but has not yet determined a figure.

The Pfizer vaccine, which needs to be stored at ultra-cold temperatures, will be defrosted before being couriered to aged care facilities and reconstituted on site.

In the capital city hubs, it will be defrosted on the day of administration.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, which the majority of the population will receive, is due to be ready for use in early March as the rollout ramps up.

Professor Murphy said immunising Australians safely was a huge and complex task.

“This is a really, really exciting time, but we are about to start the single-biggest, and most complex, vaccination task in the history of this nation,” he said.

All vaccinations will be recorded in Medicare records online and in hard copy.

 

VACCINE HUBS FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS

QLD: Gold Coast University Hospital, Cairns Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital

NSW: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Westmead Hospital, Liverpool Hospital

VIC: Monash Medical Centre Clayton, Sunshine Hospital, Austin Health, University Hospital Geelong

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SA: Royal Adelaide Hospital, Flinders Medical Centre

WA: Perth Children’s Hospital

TAS: Royal Hobart Hospital

ACT: Canberra Hospital

NT: Royal Darwin Hospital

PRIORITY LOCATIONS FOR AGED CARE RESIDENTS

QLD: Albany Creek, Aspley, Bald Hills, Beaconsfield, Birtinya, Bray Park, Buderim, Bundaberg, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Carseldine, Cleveland, Glenella, Glenvale, Harriston, Hope Island, Kearneys Spring, Kepnock, Lawnton, Mackay, Meridan Plains, Millbank, Mirani, Mudgeeraba, North Bundaberg, North Tamborine, Palmwoods, Pimpana, Redland Bay, Robina, Sippy Downs, South Toowoomba, Thornlands, Toowoomba, Upper Coomera, Varsity Lakes, Victoria Point, Warana, West Mackay, Woombye

NT: Alice Springs, Braitling, Coconut Grove, Fannie Bay, Farrar, Nightcliff, Tiwi

NSW: Alstonville, Austral, Ballina, Bangor, Barden Ridge, Blacktown, Collaroy, Collaroy Plateau, Corrimal, Cronulla, Dean Park, Emu Plains, Engadine, Glenfield, Gosford West, Heathcote, Illawong, Jamisontown, Marayong, Minto, Mortdale, Mount Austin, Narrabeen, Orange, Peakhurst, Penrith, Penshurst, Point Clare, Port Macquarie, Prestons, Roselands, Springwood, Stanwell Park, Tarrawanna, Terrey Hills, Thirroul, Umina Beach, Wagga Wagga, Warriewood, Woonona, Woy Woy

ACT: Curtin, Farrer, Garran, Griffith, Hughes, Narrabundah, Red Hill, Stirling, Weston

VIC: Altona Meadows, Ballarat, Ballarat East, Bayswater, Bendigo, Blackburn, California Gully, Canadian, Cowes, Cranbourne, Cranbourne East, Creswick, Dandenong, Dandenong North, Delacombe, Drouin, Drysdale, East Bendigo, Forest Hill, Heathmont, Hoppers Crossing, Ironbark, Junction Village, Lara, Long Gully, Moe, Morwell, Mount Clear, Neerim South, Newborough, Nunawading, Ocean Grove, Point Cook, Point Lonsdale, Portarlington, Ringwood, Vermont, Vermont South, Wallington, Wantirna, Wantirna South, Warragul, Wendouree, Werribee

TAS: Burnie, Legana, Newnham, Newstead, Norwood, Penguin, Riverside, Somerset, St Leonards, Ulverstone, West Ulverstone, Wynyard

SA: Aldgate, Cowandilla, Encounter Bay, Everard Park, Goolwa, Hahndorf, Heathfield, Lockleys, Marion, Marleston, Morphettville, Mount Barker, North Plympton, Oaklands Park, Port Elliot, Uraidla, Victor Harbor

WA: Balcatta, Bunbury, Calista, Carey Park, Cooloongup, Donnybrook, Eaton, Emu Point, Kingsley, Lockyer, Madeley, Marangaroo, Mirrabooka, Port Kennedy, Rockingham, Shoalwater, South Bunbury, Spencer Park, Waikiki, Yakamia

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