Northern Territory's health department is deploying its Health on Wheels truck to Alice Springs' hotted-up car festival, the 2021 Red Centre Nats, this weekend, offering vaccinations and advice.
The mobile clinic will attend two of the three days at Blatherskite Park to not only raise awareness about COVID-19 vaccines but physically provide Pfizer shots.
It was the brainchild of Deb Grey, a self-confessed car enthusiast and acting general manager of the Pandemic Coordination Cell.
"If we want to have events like Red Centre Nats and other major events we need to have the town population vaccinated to enable safe travel … and continue the lifestyle that we [have] in the Territory," she said.
Sense of urgency
Ms Grey said that there is a sense of urgency to get reach the target of 80 per cent vaccinated given the unfolding COVID-19 situation in NSW.
"[We are] trying to reach our vaccination target for Central Australia, acknowledging that we have a significant proportion of Indigenous people, vulnerable people, in Alice Springs," she said.
"That's why we are going to be increasing our community presence to enable vaccination."
Ms Grey acknowledged that people were very busy but said that it was important to have the conversation with people about the vaccine.
There will be two registered nurses that will open the mobile Pfizer vaccine and information bus 9:00am-2:00pm on Saturday and noon-4:00pm on Sunday.
