Clare Comedoy was more than willing to roll her sleeve up for a dose of AstraZeneca.
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The childcare worker was booked for her first shot at her local pharmacist this week only to be advised she wasn't eligible because her Medicare record indicated she had received a dose of Pfizer in Melbourne on July 9.
"I said I haven't been to Melbourne and I'm not even eligible for Pfizer," Ms Comedoy said.
"She (the pharmacist) said you will most likely have to get a blood test to prove that you haven't had Pfizer in order to get AstraZeneca."
Adding to the confusion was the fact there were no details of where in Melbourne Ms Comedoy supposedly received the phantom dose of vaccine.
An investigation following a Newcastle Herald inquiry to Services Australia, which holds Medicare data, resulted in Ms Comedoy's file being corrected.
While pleased the situation had been resolved Ms Comedoy said she was concerned about the circumstances that led to the error.
"The frustrating thing is I have had to change my plans to be vaccinated because of this stuff-up. I have a legal document stating I had been vaccinated when I hadn't. If I was an anti-vaxxer that would be gold," she said.
While highly recommended, it is currently not compulsory for early childhood workers in the Hunter to be vaccinated.
"I am trying to be vaccinated because I am exposed to a lot of families and children each day," Ms Comedoy said.
"I know there are a number of people at my centre who are waiting for Pfizer but we are not on that priority list."
Paterson MP Meryl Swanson said Ms Comedoy's case showed that improvements to Medicare's patient records system were urgently needed.
"I'm concerned with how this error occurred and how many others may be affected and not yet know it," she said.
"I'm calling on the minister to explain how this happened and ensure that it doesn't continue to cause confusion and delays to individuals attempting to be vaccinated.
"Much like the CovidSafe App, this is just another example of the government making mistakes and not taking responsibility."
Services Australia is responsible for administering the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), which holds information reported by vaccination providers.
Only registered vaccination providers can record immunisation information on the register.
The provider is responsible for ensuring the information is correct.
Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said an investigation into the error was underway and the agency was working with the vaccination provider to resolve the matter.
"Services Australia takes all data quality issues seriously, recognising the need for accurate and up-to-date data on an individual's immunisation record," Mr Jongen said.
"The agency has corrected the customer's record and any clinical suggestion by a third party healthcare provider, such as requiring a blood test, will have been superseded."
People can contact Services Australia if they believe their information is incorrect.
The Australian Immunisation Register is the national register that records vaccines given to all people in Australia.
Services Australia works closely with the Department of Health to provide support for vaccination providers, making it as easy as possible to report quality information to the AIR.
To further increase the accuracy of records held on the AIR, improvements have been made to the online AIR systems to include 'real time' assessment of immunisation data submitted by vaccination providers.
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Matthew Kelly
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
Matthew Kelly has worked as a journalist for more than 25 years. He has been working as a general reporter at the Newcastle Herald since 2018. In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education. He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
