Gunnedah mass vaccination hub protects, as Royal Flying Doctor Service prepares flying Pfizer clinic

The town will get its own Pfizer vax clinic, care of the Royal Flying Doctors' Service, from Monday September 13.

The clinic will be a walk-in, but patients are asked to bring their Medicare card.

Gunnedah Mayor Jamie Chaffey said it was a "relief" for both council and community.

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"We expect that we'll see a significant increase in our percentages of both first and second dose almost immediately once the Pfizer clinic is complete," he said.

"That's what we've been looking for and calling for at council because we'll be in a much better position should the unfortunate situation arise where there is an outbreak within our community."

The flying clinic will also vaccinate the communities of Moree. Mullaley, Curlewis, Werris Creek and Quirindi. It has already been working in Wee Waa.

Cr Chaffey said the clinics should get the community closer to a level of vaccination sufficient to have them leave lockdown.

The clinics will return after three weeks to give locals their second shots, taking the pressure off Gunnedah GPs, he said.

Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, spent weeks trying to set up the vaccination clinics in Gunnedah.

The RFDS teams have been inoculating high-risk communities in western NSW for weeks but after repeat visits, most are now at high vaccination levels.

"They've come across into the Hunter New England region because there Was a need for getting our younger people vaccinated with Pfizer. It's A little bit out of their traditional ground," he said.

Mr Coulton said it was vital that older residents booked in for an AstraZeneca vaccine got it, leaving Pfizer jabs for people who have no alternative.

He said the clinic should put the community in range of the 70 per cent needed to open up more.

"There's no reason why it won't. If they can't get everyone covered in the three days they'll probably come back. There's be ample opportunity for people to come and get vaccinated," he said.

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"We are looking forward to working towards the next stage of this where we can get some freedom back. That's been promised by the Prime Minister and the Premiers and others when we get those vaccination rates up."

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson confirmed that 99 people had got vaccinated at Gunnedah's first mass vaccination clinic at the walk-up Rural Health Centre clinic on Saturday.

"We should be running these on a frequent basis to provide that opportunity for people to get vaccinated," he said.

"We've got to continue to get those numbers up."

About 52.6 per cent of Gunnedah was vaccinated as of August 29, with 25 per cent of residents vaccinated twice.

Meanwhile, more than 300 people received their COVID-19 jabs in Glen Innes over the weekend, providing a major boost to the region's vaccination rates.

On Saturday, 335 people attended the walk-in clinic in Glen Innes - about 5 per cent of the town's adult population.

Around 60 per cent of the vaccinations were first doses, while the rest were people receiving their second dose and getting the state closer to it's goal of 70 per cent by mid-October.

It was held at the University of New England Medical Centre, and another a follow up event will take place in the town in four weeks' time.

Staff were also kept busy at the mass vaccination hubs in Wee Waa on Saturday and Narrabri on Sunday.

The Narrabri clinic, which was hosted at the Crossing Theatre, will also be open today between 9.30am and 2.30pm.

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