With phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccination rolling out through GP clinics from Monday, March 22, local medical centres are already being bombarded with booking enquiries.
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Mid North Coast medical centres registered as a COVID-19 vaccination clinic have been "slammed with phone calls".
More than 1000 general practices will join Australia's vaccination program from next week despite doctors' concerns they're short on doses.
This will increase to 4000 clinics by the end of April as part of the rollout's next phase.
Mr Hunt said the clinics would take "all comers" and distribute more than 1000 jabs each week.
The Minister conceded smaller general practices would need to focus on their own patients first before expanding to others.
Lachlan Medical Centre and Flynns Beach Medical Centre in Port Macquarie are among most clinics that have not yet received vaccines to administer.
"It is absolutely, chronically bad," a spokesperson from the clinic said.
"We haven't got any (vaccines) and don't know when we are getting them. It's a massive problem for us.
"We can't find time for the patients we've got because of an overload of phone calls. This has caused a lot of chaos for both our sites."
Both centres are not taking bookings until they are stocked with vaccines. They will advise patients on their website when bookings become available.
Supply of the COVID vaccine will be prioritised according to NSW Health guidelines.
Another clinic confirmed they were only being given 80 doses for week one, and 100 per week until such time as supplies grew.
"We will be in contact with patients according to their priority. Please be patient, we will receive a regular supply and are conducting COVID clinics regularly. Please do not ring us to arrange your vaccination. We will contact you," the health clinic spokesperson said.
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- Adults aged 70 and over.
- Health care workers who have not already been vaccinated as frontline workers.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 55 and over.
- Younger adults with specific underlying medical conditions, including those with a disability.
- Clinical and high risk workers, including defence, police, fire, emergency services, and meat processing.
To find out if you are eligible for vaccination in phase 1B and to locate a clinic near you, visit covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility and complete the questions.
The list of available locations will then be provided to you. You can book online through the site.
Not all medical centres are signing up to deliver the vaccinations, and not all are signed up to begin immediately.
As more clinics join this phase and more vaccines become available, the number of online appointments will increase.
So far 204,000 Australians have been vaccinated, including 45,000 in aged care.
For the latest COVID-19 vaccination updates visit www.health.gov.au/covid10-vaccines.
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