HUNTER GPs have thrown their support behind "whatever mechanisms" will enable the rapid and safe rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in the region.
Following the news that community pharmacies have been invited to join the nation-wide effort to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming months, the Hunter GP Association says it has "every confidence" their pharmacy colleagues will hold themselves to the same standards of safety as general practice.
"What general practice is really looking for is an expedient, appropriate mass vaccination of the public to keep everyone safe and return the economy to its thriving state," Dr Fiona Van Leeuwen, chair of the Hunter GP Association, said.
"Sometimes we might need to look further afield and employ as many people as possible across health to do that."
On Monday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the aim was to have all Australians vaccinated by October. Priority would be given to frontline staff, with the expectation they would begin receiving the Pfizer vaccine from late February.
John Hunter Hospital is among the first 11 "vaccination hubs" in NSW.
As the rollout progresses, accredited general practices and eligible community pharmacists will begin administering the AstraZeneca/University of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, once it is approved by the TGA.
Dr Van Leeuwen said community pharmacies had already been involved in delivering flu vaccines and other shots.
"They don't have the experience a general practice has in the logistics of rolling out a large number of vaccines and complex vaccine regimes, but the most important thing is that we do it safely," she said. "We do things like get informed consent, get a good medical history, make sure the environment is appropriate, that we have good resuscitation equipment, that we have meticulous record keeping, that we are able to liaise with the immunisation register, and that we are able to monitor people safely afterwards.
"I think we would expect the same standards would apply to pharmacy."
Dr Van Leeuwen said while a lot of the details surrounding the rollout of the vaccines in the community still needed more clarification, general practice was "absolutely ready and able".
"GPs will be there to vaccinate you safely, as soon as possible in the largest numbers we can manage," she said.
Dr Van Leeuwen said Australia was in a fortunate position to be able to watch the vaccine rollouts overseas, to see how people respond, and what side effects occur.
"That puts us in a really strong position to vaccinate appropriately and safely."
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