Tuesday, 29 June 2021
MEMBER for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall is hoping an announcement last night following an emergency National Cabinet meeting will see all vaccination clinics, not just GPs, able to administer AstraZeneca to anyone who wants it.
Mr Marshall has today sought clarification from NSW Health about whether it too will allow the Northern Tablelands public health vaccination clinics in Armidale and Moree to administer jabs to people under 40 years of age.
“What’s very clear from the current Delta strain outbreak is that we need many more people in the community vaccinated,” Mr Marshall said.
“At the moment, we have the most aggressive strain of COVID yet out there and we’re completely vulnerable, having only a tiny percentage of the community fully vaccinated.
“It’s disappointing, frustrating and downright dangerous that despite thousands of people registering, or wanting to register, for their jabs, especially young people, they’ve so far been prevented from doing so due to a lack of doses being made available by the Commonwealth Government.
“The decision of National Cabinet yesterday to indemnify GPs who administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to those under 40 could mean many people who have been prevented up until now, could get vaccinated more quickly.
“I’ve sought clarification from NSW Health as to whether it will adopt the same policy for its public vaccination clinics in our region at Armidale and Moree Hospitals.
“I know so many people who are keen to have any vaccine rather than none – including me – and would welcome the opportunity to be vaccinated right now, rather than waiting until possibly next year to get their Pfizer jabs.
“Not everyone will want to do this, but I’m sure a lot of people would take up the opportunity, if it was available.”
Mr Marshall, who has been ineligible for the vaccine due to his age, said his current condition had given him a far greater understanding of the health impacts of COVID and the benefits of being vaccinated.
“I’m not vaccinated, but I wish I was,” he said.
“While I may still have contracted COVID, I certainly wouldn’t have been as sick if I had been jabbed.
“I don’t care what the Prime Minister and his colleagues say, I believe it is a race to get people in this country vaccinated.
“The higher the percentage of people vaccinated, the lower the risk to us all when we have outbreaks like the one right now.
“More vaccinated people means those who are unfortunate enough to contract this awful thing have less severe symptoms, stay out of hospital and survive.
“The rollout of the vaccine so far has been an absolute shambles, but I hope it improves dramatically – it needs to!”