Locals in the Weddin Shire have more than one way to get vaccinated with the rollout of Phase 1b of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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In Grenfell the Main Street Medical Centre is available for eligible patients to get vaccinated, while there is also the option to travel to Young to receive the vaccine.
MedCirc in Grenfell is expected to commence their vaccine rollout sometime in the next few weeks.
The Main Street Medical Centre has already vaccinated 80 locals, however they are limited with the number of doses available to them with each delivery, while over in Young at the Boorowa Street Clinic residents in Weddin are able to be vaccinated without a Medicare card.
General Practitioner at the Young COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Dr Wick said that the clinic can vaccinate anyone who turns up and assures everyone that the vaccine is safe.
The COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Young opened last week, with only 24 people using the facility at the start of the week, however by the end of the week they were vaccinating 100 people a day with the capability to treat almost three times that number.
"We had a number of people worried about the vaccine," Dr Wick said.
"I want to assure them that it is safe."
Some residents were concerned after reports coming out of Europe about the AstraZenica vaccine in relation to blood clots.
"There are always going to be the rare side-affect, however the whole community needs to be vaccinated before we can move forward."
Dr Wick said that getting the vaccine isn't only about protecting yourself, but about protecting others within families and communities.
"It is vital that we protect our most vulnerable," he said. "Getting the vaccine isn't about an individual, it is about the whole community."
The local clinic needs to reach a target goal of 200 vaccines a day to be ready for the next phase of the rollout in June.
"Grenfell, Harden, Boorowa, no matter where you are from you are able to attend a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic anywhere in the country and be vaccinated if you are in an eligible group," Dr Wick said.
"We have people come over from Cootamundra even, we really do hope to get over 200 vaccines done a day."
Currently the rollout is in Phase 1B which means the following categories are able to be vaccinated:
- Elderly people aged 70 and over
- Healthcare workers currently employed and not included in Phase 1a
- Household contacts of quarantine and border workers
- Critical and high risk workers who are currently employed
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 55 years and over
- Adults with an underlying medical condition or significant disability
Locals are able to book in for a COVID vaccine by calling the Main Street Medical Centre on 6343 1211 and being put on the waiting list or alternatively they can contact the Young COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on 6382 1599 or jump online to book through https://www.hotdoc.com.au/.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic in Young is located down the back lane behind the Boorowa Street Clinic, following the signs.