THE ILLUSIVE Pfizer vaccine is now available at a limited number of GP's in the region as the state government desperately tries to boost vaccination numbers.
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The Tamworth Respiratory Clinic and Gunnedah's Barber Street Practice are among the first 500 GP's in the state to be able to start to deliver the jab to people aged 40-59 this week.
Clinics can develop their own rollout criteria locally, Barber Street Practice manager Dianne Tumbers said.
"We will come up with our own criteria to roll it out as to who gets priority, and we would look at the frontline workers here like us who haven't had it yet and staff at the hospital who haven't been able to access it before we open it to the public," she said.
Barber Street Practice received 120 doses in its first batch but will be able to order up to 300 each week in the coming weeks.
GP's are only allowed to give Pfizer to people aged 40 to 59, unless people older than that have a medical exemption that rules out AstraZeneca.
Only surgeries that already offered AstraZeneca were invited to submit an expression of interest for the Pfizer vaccine and Ms Tumbers said it was good timing considering bookings and interest in vaccination had jumped considerably since the Delta variant broke out in Sydney.
Northwest Health GP Dr Ian Kamerman, who runs the Tamworth Respiratory Clinic, said every eligible person needs to be vaccinated.
"It's important to ensure these vaccines are available in regional and remote areas," he said.
"I think there are people who have waited for Pfizer, for a number of reasons, but mostly it's because they are under 60 or have other health-related problems that require them to have Pfizer.
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"I think certainly a lot more people are realising that there is COVID circulating in what most people consider a short plane flight or half-a-day's drive away, which is pretty close.
"People do travel that fairly frequently, so there are risks of COVID hitting this town and I'm sure people are aware that a number of people have been in isolation in town because of the close contacts in Sydney."
Members of the public who meet the eligibility criteria can book in now for Pfizer vaccinations at clinics in Tamworth and Gunnedah.
To book an appointment, visit the eligibility checker at https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/ or contact your doctor.
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