The first of the region's frontline healthcare workers to be immunised against coronavirus have now received their initial doses of the vaccine.
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Wagga Base Hospital, one of five "major vaccination hubs" in NSW, began delivering the the vaccine to it's healthcare workers today.
Over the next few weeks the vaccine will be brought to 30 'spoke' locations, including Leeton Medical Centre.
Wagga Base Hospital clinical nurse educator Rebecca Deveraux was the first Murrumbidgee Local Health District staff member to receive the Pfizer jab this afternoon.
Speaking at the hospital afterwards, Ms Deveraux said she was feeling positive about the vaccine roll out, which would be the next step in keeping the community safe.
I'm feeling really good. it didn't hurt. It was easy,
- Rebecca Deveraux on receiving the vaccine
"I'm feeling really good. it didn't hurt. It was easy," she said.
"It has been a tough year. I work in the medical unit which worked as a COVID-19 unit in 2020. I am lucky enough to work alongside nurses on the floor who are amazing people, and nurses who work really hard to keep our patients safe."
Frontline healthcare workers in the MLHD will be vaccinated as part of "phase 1a" of the Commonwealth government's immunisation rollout, which began in Wagga in late February with aged care residents and staff.
NSW Health has commenced vaccinating high priority groups including quarantine and border workers, as well as frontline healthcare workers at particular risk of exposure to the virus.
MLHD chief executive Jill Ludford said Wagga Base Hospital and Griffith Base Hospital would be used as "hubs" from which to roll the vaccine out to the wider region, including Leeton.
Ms Ludford said staff would also use mobile teams to get the vaccine out to every Murrumbidgee healthcare facility, with an initial focus on priority groups such as healthcare and emergency services workers.
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She said the federal government had determined the vaccine allocation and that some healthcare workers would be getting the Pfizer immunisation while others would receive the AstraZeneca jab.
Murrumbidgee doctor Tom Heaney encouraged the wider community to get the vaccine, saying widespread immunisation would mean "being able to plan our lives with more certainty".
"Once enough of the population are immunised it'll decrease the risk to the community as a whole," he said.
Other residents will join the mass-immunisation from "phase 1b" from March 22 at the Riverina's GP clinics, with the elderly and otherwise vulnerable at the front of the queue.
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