Could introducing a phase 1c solve our national rollout problems?
The government should be urging all individuals over 50 years old to come forward and get an AstraZeneca vaccination as soon as possible, despite a recent dip in public trust, says one Melbourne GP.
Dr Nathan Pinskier wrote to health officials today calling for the addition of a Phase 1c to the national COVID-19 vaccine rollout, saying it would be the best use of the AstraZeneca vaccines the country has available.
The news comes just one day after Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced he was scrapping all official targets for the national immunisation program.
And the federal government has also come under fire today from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who called for a greater sense of urgency to the vaccine rollout over fear Australia will be “left behind” as the rest of the world opens.
Dr Pinskier’s vaccination clinic experienced about 30 cancellations on both Saturday and Sunday following the announcement from ATAGI last week naming Pfizer as the preferred vaccine for patients under the age of 50.
“This was in addition to the staff fielding a number of phone calls from patients who expressed uncertainty about whether they should get vaccinated or not,” he told TMR.
“Doctors were also uncertain whether they should vaccinate people under 50 or not, particularly the people who were eligible.”
Under current plans, a majority of adults aged 50 years and over are not expected to be vaccinated until phase 2a.
But Dr Pinskier’s suggestion to promptly introduce a new phase to vaccine rollout could ensure general practices continue to fill their available appointments.
“I think it’d be prudent for the Commonwealth to consider extending the existing phases and create a phase 1c for anyone over the age of 50 to be eligible to be vaccinated immediately,” he said.
There is no firm delivery date on the 40 million doses of Pfizer that are expected to play a key role in phase 2a of the vaccination program, targeting the balance of the adult population under 50 years.
But Health Minister Greg Hunt said it would be October at the earliest – the Government’s original target to have all Australians vaccinated.
“Having a phase 1c could create some certainty for the public because at the moment the core conversation’s about those under 50, and I think we need to swing it around the other way, and open it up to anyone over the age of 50,” Dr Pinskier said.
This initiative would allow the government to ensure it was using all available AstraZeneca doses, and deal with some of the public uncertainty, he said.
Dinal Perera, a practice manager in Bayswater Victoria told TMR that his practice had also been experiencing a high volume of vaccine hesitancy among patients.
“Our patients have been calling up just terrified about the vaccine,” he said.
“We’ve started the vaccine program quite recently because there have been a lot of different COVID vaccine start-up dates. Fortunately we’ve not had many cancellations yet but we have been receiving a lot more calls.”
Other GPs expressed concern at the weekend about facing litigation from their patients over potential vaccine side-effects.
But Mr Hunt in a media conference on Sunday said “no doctor need worry” about their indemnity for the vaccines.
“I want to make something very, very clear. Australia already has vaccine indemnity agreements in place,” he said. “The AMA and the RACGP have clear advice in writing from the Government to that effect, and they also have updated informed consent material, so no doctor need worry.”
But the reassurance from Mr Hunt has not alleviated GPs concerns over the additional burden of gaining patient consent.
So this is what my insurer expect from me when consenting & administering a #COVID19Vaccination And @GregHuntMP & co expects me to do this in under 5min and bulkbill the whole session pic.twitter.com/LvKu9X34N5
— Thinus van Rensburg (@tvren) April 11, 2021
GPs have pointed to the time-based constraints of vaccination consults, noting that many people attending vaccination clinic may not be regular patients of the same practice.
All the while, Australians are being reminded that while there is currently no community transmission of COVID, there’s good reason for the nation to hasten the vaccine rollout.
This risk includes the ever-present threat of hotel quarantine, where any outbreak could wreak havoc in a majorly unvaccinated population.
Hey #melbourne – on a crowded standing room only tram today and < 20% of people were wearing masks. Other things viewed, people checking in to hotel quarantine. We’re not safe yet. Be better.
— dr_bowerbird (@dr_bowerbird) April 12, 2021
Additional reporting by Holly Payne
