Tamworth COVID-19 vaccine rollout: aged care residents to be fully vaccinated with Pfizer jab by the end of June

RFBI Tamworth Masonic Village manager Elizabeth Diebold told the Leader plans were in place to have the home's residents vaccinated with the Pfizer jab by the end of May, and have their second doses done by June.

Despite being in the Phase 1a category, aged care residents in Tamworth have waited patiently for their turn to get the vaccine, weeks after the 1b rollout started at GPs in the city.

"It's logistically very, very difficult ... this is a new thing for everyone," Mrs Diebold said.

"It hasn't really bothered us at all to be honest.

"We are ready to rock and roll when they come and turn up and give them a vaccine and we'll move on from there."

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Mrs Diebold said the older people would be getting the Pfizer vaccine, compared to the AstraZeneca vaccine the GPs are working with.

"To me it's like, let's just get everyone done and be organised for it," she said.

Mrs Diebold said the extra time has made the facility feel super prepared with consent forms and their set-up, and the timeline has been worked on during weekly meetings with health authorities.

"It's really exciting now, it hasn't affected residents and we have kept them all updated," she said.

"As soon as the team is ready they will be coming here and it's a really good system where they will come up a week before and walk through and check out the village."

Mrs Diebold said COVID had posed new challenges for senior citizens, but Tamworth residents were "happy and healthy" and back to leading lives close to normal.

"We will be living in a COVID world for a long time but we're opening up more and more and and with an extra level of safety with the vaccine perhaps residents will feel more comfortable, though they really haven't been too worried," she said.

The Phase 1b federal rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine started in Tamworth on March 22, and the state rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine to healthcare workers started a week later.

Mrs Diebold said the general rule was that residents who opt into the jab will be vaccinated first, and her staff could be vaccinated with any vials that were left.

A spokesman from the Primary Health Network confirmed the travelling vaccine teams are making their way to the region in the coming weeks.

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