Major step in COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout takes a major step forward, with more than 500 GPs around Australia set to administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from today.

This will enable Australians to access the Pfizer vaccine through their general practice, helping to significantly accelerate the pace of the rollout for younger populations.

This is further supported by 62 Commonwealth Vaccination Clinics (CVCs) and 15 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) who will also begin administering Pfizer from this week.

By the end of July, 1,300 GPs will be administering Pfizer vaccines, along with up to 135 CVCs and 130 ACCHS sites.

As more supplies of Pfizer become available, it is expected all 5,100 GPs participating in the vaccine rollout, will have the opportunity to administer the Pfizer vaccine by later this year.

These practices will now offer both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines, which will ensure Australians can access both a first and second dose.

Primary Care vaccination sites, including GPs, ACCHS and CVCs and have been the backbone of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, administering more than 4.2 million vaccinations so far. This is more than half of the 8.2 million COVID-19 vaccinations administered in the country to date.

This is an incredible achievement and a true reflection of the commitment of GPs to support their local communities.

This will maximise the impact of the rollout across Australia and ensure better access to the Pfizer vaccine. In the first instance, it will provide additional Pfizer vaccines to regional, rural, and remote areas.

We have seen record numbers of vaccinations across Australia, with more than 875,000 Australians receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in the last week.

I encourage all eligible Australians to come forward and receive their COVID-19 vaccines, which will help protect you, your loved ones and the broader community.

All GPs participating in the vaccination rollout can be found through the COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder- https://www.health.gov.au/resources/apps-and-tools/covid-19-vaccine-eligibility-checker

Over coming weeks, the finder will have rolling updates to show where people can get the Pfizer vaccine as more GPs start administering it.