There's 9000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine being delivered into the region every week, according to the Western NSW Local Health District.
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It's hoped those doses will help ease the waiting list in coming weeks, as the region's health chief said so far, 75,000 people in the Western region had received their first dose against COVID-19.
"I'd love to see everyone in our region vaccinated by the end of the year," Western NSW LHD Chief Executive Scott McLachlan said.
"We know that not everyone will want to take that up, but I'd love to see about 80 per cent of the population by the end of the year having at least one vaccine, if not two."
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The advice in regional NSW is:
- For those aged 60 and over who are still unvaccinated to book an appointment immediately.
- For those aged 40-49 unable to get the Pfizer, to consider AstraZeneca.
- And those aged 18-39 to also talk to their GP about the AstraZeneca.
The NSW government last week changed the advice on waiting times between jabs, bringing the recommended time between AstraZeneca doses to between four to eight weeks.
Sixty-six year-old Dubbo man Mel Ellis booked an appointment for his second dose for Monday July 26. But he was turned away, despite having his first dose of AstraZeneca on June 7.
"They said 'no, we won't do that here'," Mr Ellis said. "I asked - even though I'm over 60 and it's been past the six-weeks (between doses)? They still said, 'no'."
Mr Ellis called the National Covid hotline, as well as contacting the NSW Premier's office, who confirmed he was eligible for his second dose. He was able to get an appointment, only to be turned away when he arrived on site.
After another day of phone calls and attempts to clarify his situation, Mr Ellis was able to get his second jab on Wednesday.
"It's AstraZeneca, not like I'm jumping the queue for Pfizer or anything like that - I'm getting what I'm entitled to, I'm trying to do the right thing," Mr Ellis said.
The advice on the NSW Health website has since been updated, to advise people "living in regional NSW in non-outbreak settings, the preferred interval between doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine remains at 12 weeks".
A spokesperson for the Western NSW Local Health District said, "In a COVID-19 outbreak such as Sydney is currently experiencing, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has recommended a shorter interval of four to eight weeks between doses of AstraZeneca vaccine.
"As Dubbo currently has no cases, the recommended 12-week interval between doses remains appropriate for most people. Vaccination is available in a number of locations cross the district including GPs and pharmacists.
"In the first instance, people should contact their GP or use the eligibility checker to book a vaccination. A full list of GPs providing vaccination services in our Local Health District can be downloaded from the WNSWLHD website here."
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