General practices are helping propel Dubbo towards key COVID-19 vaccination targets, as the latest figures show 77.6 per cent of the local government area has received a first dose.
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"The backbone of the nation's vaccine roll-out" has in recent weeks been getting Pfizer shots in arms at Dubbo, in addition to its months of efforts with AstraZeneca.
Almost 1000 patients received Pfizer jabs in just one week in August from Dubbo Medical and Allied Health Group, the practice said in a post to social media.
Across town, Dubbo Family Doctors administered 244 first doses to patients aged 12 to 59 years on August 21, it reported on Facebook.
Since the launch of its Pfizer vaccine clinics for patients, Dubbo Family Doctors also opened up first dose Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine appointments to the wider community, it advised on social media on September 2.
On Monday Macquarie Health Collective advised it now had both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccinations available, accepting bookings for people aged 12 years and over.
All of Dubbo's general practices except one were administering Pfizer (Comirnaty) vaccinations, Western NSW Primary Health Network (PHN) chief executive officer Andrew Coe reported on September 1.
Bawrunga Medical Service would start its Pfizer program on September 13, he said.
He said it was pleasing to see vaccination rates increasing rapidly since the start of the current outbreak.
"The current rate of growth in vaccination rates against COVID-19 is really positive, but we're determined to see that continue to grow at an even faster rate," he said.
The current rate of growth in vaccination rates against COVID-19 is really positive, but we're determined to see that continue to grow at an even faster rate.
- Western NSW Primary Health Network CEO Andrew Coe
While the organisation, which is funded by the federal government, is supporting communities that are a major concern with positive cases, its focus was also on lifting rates of vaccination in the population right across the region, Mr Coe said.
That was especially people eligible under phases 1a and 1b of the government's rollout, including front-line healthcare workers, emergency workers, residential aged care facility staff and residents and abattoir employees, he said.
"The work of our region's general practice vaccine providers in these areas has been instrumental, which, amongst so many achievements, has included the completion of vaccinations for employees of Dubbo's Fletcher International Exports by Dubbo Medical and Allied Health Group," Mr Coe said.
The PHN's work has also concentrated on getting the region's Indigenous residents vaccinated, including its collaboration with Wellington Aboriginal Community Health Service to set up the Wellington vaccination clinic that started operation in late August.
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) congratulated general practices for delivering more than 10 million COVID-19 vaccines - more than half the national total.
"This is an incredible achievement; you are the backbone of the nation's vaccine roll-out," RACGP president Dr Karen Price said on September 2.
A mass vaccination effort providing a walk-in clinic at Dubbo, a joint effort of NSW Health, police and the Australian Defence Force, started on August 21 and continued administering first doses for nine days.
Clinics have also been running across the Western NSW Local Health District.
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