Pfizer supply concerns
Some local people are reporting difficulty booking in for their second Pfizer shot.
Just what is happening with supplies of the Pfizer vaccine?
No one seems to have the answer and that’s an issue for many younger people in our community.
The Advertiser has been told of a young woman from Cowes who had her second Pfizer vaccination cancelled, while another twenty-three-year-old said their second dose was due in late October, but there were no appointments available until November or December.
Bass Coast Health CEO, Jan Child said Pfizer supply was a “week by week” proposition.
“So far we are okay with supplies, but I don’t have any surety about the coming weeks. That isn’t new – that’s always how it is.”
She said the Community Vaccination Clinic at the Wonthaggi Town Hall was working on the premise that it would receive adequate supply for second doses.
With uncertainty around supply, and the difficulty of finding an appointment, was she concerned that younger people would give up trying to get their second vaccination?
“It is really important that we get young people jabbed,” she said, but admitted the booking process still wasn’t easy.
She urged people to keep checking the online portal, as more appointments would be made available when supplies of the vaccine arrived.
However she said anyone whose second Pfizer dose was due who was unable to secure an appointment should come to the town hall.
“Our mantra is to not turn people away,” she said.
Supply chain
Last week, the Premier Daniel Andrews said Victoria could not reduce the interval dose for Pfizer from six to three weeks, as there was not enough stock on hand and the state was “rationing Pfizer”.
The states have been told allocations of Pfizer will fall from 10.9 million in September to 8.4 million in October, but Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt, said supplies of mRNA vaccines will increase in October.
However this is likely to be due to increased supplies of Moderna.
On Friday, Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said he was pleased to welcome the Moderna vaccine into the “tool kit of state vaccination hubs”, with pop-up clinics in outbreak areas pivoting to Moderna, due to Pfizer supply issues.
The state-run clinics will receive 32,000 doses next week.
The Moderna vaccine is available to everyone aged from 12 to 59 years.
Mr Foley said there would be a massive Moderna roll out through pharmacies, which would receive over 300,000 doses in the coming weeks.
He recommended people visited findapharmacy.com.au to book in for either an AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccine.
To book a Covid vaccination, call the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398, go online to portal.cvms.vic.gov.au, or pop into the Town Hall for your AstraZeneca vaccination.
