Dubbo's response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be used as a model across the country, says the boss of the vaccine taskforce.
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COVID Vaccine Taskforce coordinator general Lieutenant General John Frewen was in Dubbo on Wednesday.
He met with the Dubbo Aboriginal Health Service, officials from the Western NSW Local Health District and took part in the National Indigenous Australians Agency community forum to discuss lessons learnt during the national vaccine rollout.
"[It was] a great opportunity to come and meet the people on the ground who made such a great difference in Dubbo. [I wanted to] learn about what went well, what could have been done better and what we can take away for other communities in the countryside who are yet to achieve the high vaccination rates that you've got here in Dubbo now, or who are yet to confront the sort of outbreak that you've had here," Lieutenant General Frewen said.
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He praised the coordination and partnerships that existed in Dubbo between the levels of government, health services and emergency services.
Lieutenant General Frewen also took note of the "finer details" that were in place in Dubbo, such as the way meals were provided to those isolating, and the doorknocking to help inform people about the COVID-19 vaccines.
One of the main messages he will take to other communities is to get ready early. He said while vaccination was an important step in dealing with outbreaks, there needed to be planning in place to know how to deal with situations when things went wrong.
"I know you went through a really difficult period with the outbreak but the message is coming though really clear to me that the community pulled together in a remarkable way and achieved something that we're taking away as a bit of a model to the rest of the nation," Lieutenant General Frewen said.
While vaccination rates are high in Dubbo, the taskforce boss encouraged anyone yet to have a dose to come forward, and anyone who was due for a booster to get it.
"The first two doses are the most important but the booster gives you a top up to make sure you've got the full protection available."