Leeton Medical Centre and Leeton Medical Practice to administer COVID vaccine to elderly and at-risk

Residents eligible to be vaccinated in "phase 1b" of the national vaccine rollout will soon be able to make appointments at Leeton Medical Centre and Leeton Medical Practice to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

Those eligible include healthcare workers currently employed and not included in "phase 1a"; critical and high risk workers currently employed; people aged 70 years and older; adults with an underlying medical condition, including disability; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 55 years.

Other residents will join a staggered rollout starting with people aged over 50 years in phases "2a" and "2b" later this year.

Across the region, 12 other general practices and five GP vaccination hubs will also begin administering the vaccine from Monday.

Riverina doctor Rachel Glasson, from Blamey Street Surgery in Wagga, said there was "a good chance" all adults in the region could receive their first of two vaccine doses by October.

The Morrison government had previously announced it would offer vaccinations to all adult Australians by October and said it would vaccinate 4 million vulnerable people by April, both of which are now unlikely.

Dr Glasson said residents would receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, with most recipients to wait about 12 weeks between each jab.

"With the three month gap between doses, my feeling is that it will be early next year by the time everyone's had their second dose," she said.

"Even with one dose of the vaccine, it's been shown to dramatically reduce a person's risk of hospitalisation or death so I think if we have a first dose in everybody in October that would be a great achievement."

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Dr Glasson said residents would receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, with most recipients to wait about 12 weeks between each jab.

The Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network announcement came as the Australian Medical Association and Royal Australian College of General Practitioners issued a joint statement calling for "clarity" as clinics around the country were inundated with calls.

RACGP president Karen Price said the government "needs to better communicate with the community" on the rollout and "not build unrealistic expectations, particularly at this early stage".

MPHN acting chief executive officer Julie Redway said Riverina residents would be informed of more general practices commencing vaccinations over the coming weeks.

To check your eligibility for a vaccine visit https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility. If you are eligible for the vaccine you will be redirected to book.

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