People in NSW aged 60 and over will now have access to Pfizer and Moderna after the state changed its guidelines on who can get mRNA vaccines.
On Sunday, Health Minister Greg Hunt said the country will have enough Pfizer and Moderna doses to cover all eligible people by the end of October.
The change comes as eligibility guidelines in Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Tasmania were updated earlier this month, allowing people aged over 60 to opt for Pfizer.
Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are now available to people over 60 in NSW.Credit:AP
There are about 30,000 people aged 70 and up who are yet to have a first dose in NSW.
Last week a group of south-west Sydney GPs asked for Pfizer eligibility to be extended to older age groups, saying they were struggling to budge the hesitancy of some patients.
“The result of pervasive misinformation means that some older people will not consent to vaccination with AstraZeneca,” said Sydney South West GP Link, a group representing hundreds of general practitioners.
“Although we agree and support the use of AstraZeneca as the COVID-19 vaccine of choice in people aged 60 and older, we believe now is the time that older people have access to any safe COVID-19 vaccine that is registered for use in Australia.”
At the end of August, Operation COVID Shield advised all primary care providers that the national policy – which states AstraZeneca is the preferred vaccine for people aged 60 and over, and Pfizer should be used in people aged under 60 – hasn’t changed, but as long as they were not turning down priority patients (including 12 to 15-year-olds and pregnant women) they could match state guidelines.
There are nine million Pfizer and two million Moderna doses arriving in Australia in September, and 9.3 million Pfizer and three million Moderna doses arriving in October.
GPs and pharmacists in every state except Victoria and the ACT can book Pfizer vaccines for people over 60.
Earlier this month president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Dr Karen Price GP said all states and territories should make TGA approved vaccines available to older groups.
“That would be really smart,” she said, but emphasised it was important Pfizer bookings for over 60s were not prioritised over other vulnerable groups. “What I hope it means is there’s a turning of the tide in terms of supply.”
People aged over 12 in NSW are eligible for Pfizer through GPs and state hubs and Moderna at pharmacies. AstraZeneca is available at GPs and pharmacies for people aged over 18.
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2021-09-29 10:44:12Z
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