HUNTER-based front-line medical staff have described as 'ludicrous' an arrangement that could see hundreds, if not thousands, of them travel to Sydney to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in the next few weeks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Although there has not been an official directive from the health service, doctors, nurses and other high-risk workers told the Newcastle Herald this week they had the option to take paid time to carpool to Liverpool hospital to get the coronavirus jab.
If staff travel to Sydney for the first injection, they must go to the same place for the second dose.
John Hunter Hospital, which has an intensive care COVID ward and draws patients from the Upper Hunter to the Queensland border, was not listed among the first sites in the vaccine rollout.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian put out a statement Saturday morning confirming John Hunter would be one of five vaccine hubs in NSW to open progressively from March 15 through to April.
The vaccine will be dispatched from John Hunter to 15 satellite sites including Wallsend, Denman, Merriwa, Armidale, Tamworth and Taree.
The hubs and satellite sites will initially focus on frontline healthcare and border workers, and will later be followed by a wider rollout to the general public through the GP network.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said Newcastle was "particularly significant" because it had frontline staff meeting overseas firefighters arriving at ports.
"Those staff obviously are at higher risk than others," Mr Hazzard said.
Earlier this week, four Belmont hospital staff became the first healthcare workers from the Hunter to receive the vaccine when they travelled to Liverpool hospital.
They four were chosen to receive the vaccine after being deemed at greater risk of exposure to the virus.
It has since emerged that the trip to Liverpool hospital will be the only option for all the Hunter's other healthcare workers who want the vaccine before March 15.
A John Hunter Hospital doctor, who asked to remain anonymous, said it was "unbelievable" that critical staff would be "forced to hit the freeway in droves if they wanted the vaccine".
"We've been told that we can carpool and get the vaccine in Sydney, it's the only option available at the moment," the doctor said.
"The closest place is Liverpool, so we will all have to go there to get it if we want.
"Some people already have.
"It's a huge waste of time and resources, but it's what's available.
"When you think about the wasted time and money, it's pretty ludicrous."
It's a huge waste of time and resources, but it's what's available. When you think about the wasted time and money, it's pretty ludicrous.
- - A John Hunter Hospital doctor
NSW is planning to vaccinate 1138 front-line workers every day in the first phase of the rollout.
Over the next three weeks, roughly 35,000 quarantine and healthcare personnel will get their injection across Sydney's three hubs at Royal Prince Alfred, Westmead and Liverpool hospitals.
John Hunter Hospital will be among the state's 11 initial vaccination hubs charged with distributing the vaccine as the rollout continues.
The Pfizer vaccine must be stored between minus 60 degrees Celsius and minus 80 degrees Celsius in ultra heavy-duty freezers fitted at the three NSW vaccination hubs.
Once removed from the freezers, the vaccine can last about five days in a normal fridge.
Once the vials are opened and the doses are diluted with small amounts of saline they must be administered within six hours, or they must be thrown away.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said a health worker had raised the problem with him this week.
It's understood it is not compulsory for staff to travel to Sydney, but has been recommended for anyone travelling interstate or who has interaction with the elderly.
"I imagine it would cost an enormous amount of money and time getting all of these people to and from Sydney," Mr Crakanthorp said.
Several doctors told the Newcastle Herald there was talk around the John Hunter Hospital of not having the freezer capacity to store the Pfizer vaccine.
One senior doctor said there was an assumption that the John Hunter would receive the AstraZeneca vaccine rather than Pfizer, due to the lack of large cold storage at the facility.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be rolled out in late March and does not have the same cold storage requirements.
The senior doctor said Hunter New England staff had been told they could carpool to Sydney's Liverpool Hospital in work time to receive the jab.
"It would be much better if staff did not have to travel to Liverpool Hospital to receive the vaccine, but I think there is probably some excessive concern considering we have no cases and how lucky we have been so far during the pandemic," he said.
"On the other hand, it is a bit sad we don't have the cold storage capabilities here, particularly with the university so involved in vaccine development."
Hunter GPs said they were still waiting to hear back from the Department of Health to see if they qualified to be part of the vaccination program which is expected to begin late March.
Some believed there would be a "national booking system" for the vaccine, but they had not been given an exact timeline, and there was limited information on it to date.
Earlier this week, Paterson MP Meryl Swanson questioned why the Hunter was not included in the first week of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout given the region's high percentage of aged care facilities and ageing population.
"I know every region wants to be in week one, I get all of that, but if you're going to talk about sheer numbers, and the demographic spread of our region, we absolutely should have qualified for week one, in my opinion," Ms Swanson said.
The rollout has not occurred as quickly as the federal government promised.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has implored families of aged care residents not to be anxious amid reports of vaccines being delayed and a bungle that saw two elderly people given incorrect doses.
Health authorities have had to dispose of up to 150 doses of the Pfizer vaccine which had been left at the wrong temperature in Victoria.
Health news: Coronavirus news from around NSW and Australia
Healthcare Australia - which has the federal government contract for the vaccination workforce in NSW and Queensland - has scaled back and slowed down their processes.
The company is in hot water with the government after two elderly nursing home residents in Brisbane were given too much of the vaccine by a doctor who had not completed mandatory jab training. The 88-year-old and 94-year-old patients have shown no signs of adverse reactions.
Some 23,000 Australians have been vaccinated so far, including frontline healthcare workers and hotel quarantine staff.
Vaccinations are complete at about 90 aged care homes, with another 20 expected to have been done on Friday.
Hunter New England Health was contacted for comment.
IN THE NEWS:
- Petition calls for end to Stockton cat culling
- House parties, St Patrick's Day back on as restrictions ease
- Charges over alleged Lake Macquarie paramedic assault
- Knights extend coach Adam O'Brien's contract
- Airport, Broadmeadow make it onto infrastructure priority list
- Shark nets on the agenda for Lake Macquarie
- Unions on board Newcastle electric bus manufacturing bid
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark: newcastleherald.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News