Royal Flying Doctor Service to offer jab to 30,000 rural, remote residents

A "significant national partnership" between the federal government and the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) makes him confident they will embrace the opportunity to protect themselves from the deadly virus.

THE RFDS is set to vaccinate about 30,000 people in 80 rural and remote communities in Australia including Ivanhoe, Menindee, Tibooburra, Wilcannia, Innamincka and White Cliffs.

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In front of the media at the RFDS Dubbo base on Friday morning, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack pledged at least 60,000 vaccines to the program to cover the two doses required for each of the 30,000 people.

He also dismissed media advice that Aboriginal residents of rural and remote communities were skeptical about the vaccine rollout because its "message" had repeatedly changed.

"Well the message hasn't changed," Mr McCormack said.

"The message from day one has been get vaccinated."

Minister Coulton stepped forward and pointed to a nearby RFDS plane.

He admitted the "issue" had previously been raised with him.

"But I can tell you when that plane flies in with this branding on it and the people in that plane say to the people 'It is safe to have this vaccine, we recommend you have this vaccine', they will have this vaccine," he said.

"One of the reasons we partnered with the RFDS is because they are beyond reproach to the service that they deliver to those communities and a lot of that skepticism and fear that has been built up over the period of time will be allayed because of the people who arrive in town with the vaccine."

Earlier, chief executive officer of the RFDS South Eastern Section Greg Sam told of rural and remote communities "seeking to be vaccinated as a priority".

He noted more traffic going through vulnerable communities during the pandemic, in part because of border closures.

The RFDS will get both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

It will begin administering the jab on receipt of vaccines which Mr Sam says "should be in the next few weeks".

"Our aim is to be able to plan immunisation clinics to kick off effectively the moment we've got the vaccine in our fridges," he said.

Federation executive director of the RFDS Frank Quinlan compared vaccinating rural and remote residents to "back-burning and building firebreaks".

"I think seeing what's happening in Victoria just lets us see how quickly the fire can get away on us," he said.

"So I think that establishing a vaccination program in even smaller communities is a tremendously comforting and important step towards rural and remote health."

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