A LOCAL GP is calling on Riverlanders to continue immunising against COVID-19, saying the benefits of the vaccination outweighed the risks for people over 50 years old.
Berri Medical Clinic partner Dr John Dunn said although the clinic had already administered over 1000 vaccines since phase 1b of the rollout began late last month, the number of patients was slowing significantly.
“We’ve been given an allocation of 400 per week in our clinic and we were using pretty close to that for the first couple of weeks,” he said.
“It’s pretty clear that since the information about the blood clots has come out that people are reserved and the numbers have been well down.
“We’re falling in line with recommendations of using it for people over 50, and if anyone under 50 requests it then we discuss the clinical benefits compared to the possible risks before (the patient) makes any decision.”
Dr Dunn said he believed the level of uncertainty surrounding the vaccines was unwarranted.
“When you’re under 30, the vaccine causing a problem and having to go to intensive care (due to COVID-19) are at a similar rate, but when you’re about 70, the chances of going to intensive care is quite high and the chance of a vaccine reaction is incredibly low,” he said.
“Because of the different impacts that age has on how the vaccine works, the danger is down as low as 0.2 cases per 100,000 (for over 50s), which is an exceptionally low percentage.
“For that reason, we’re feeling that the risks are weighed incredibly in favour of having the vaccination in the over-50 age group.”
The practice is currently administering vaccines through clinics run most days.
“Because we have the vials that have 10 doses we can’t just give them in a completely random manner – we have to have them when we have batches of people together,” Dr Dunn said.
“When the rollout first started we were doing large clinics on the Saturday and we were expecting to be doing that for some time…
“But at the moment the demand has fallen away, but that’s a possibility for the future when the demand ramps up again.
“It is harder with appointments, because it takes time to do this.
“The nurses during the week can do a lot of the immunising because they have the right qualifications, but a doctor has to be available and around.
“To make it a bit easier in our clinic we have the doctor involved in the immunisations most of the time as well.”
Dr Dunn said the vaccine had impacted the operation of local services.
“It has quite the impact because you need to have at least two people checking off the doses, preparing it and it is quite involved,” he said.
“It is much more involved than a regular vaccination that we would do.”
“The other thing that is more involved are the questions that people quite understandably have about the vaccination and it does require quite a bit of time to discuss the issues with people.
“Yes, it is causing quite a lot of changes to the way that we operate, but it’s certainly being managed quite well across the region and the only thing stopping us now is that people are uncertain about the safety, and I think that uncertainty is not warranted amongst the older population.”
Dr Dunn said the clinic received frequent updates from the Federal Government on the vaccine rollout.
“We have been, and have been throughout the whole pandemic, getting regular information from the Government most days,” he said.
“We are frustrated like everyone else about the changes, we are frustrated that these things have happened, but I think it is largely out of the Government’s control really – it’s just something that they’ve had to react to.
“A lot of people have been slinging off at the Government and saying the rollout’s been disastrous – we haven’t found that.
“The disastrous thing for us is the overrepresentation by the general media of the dangers.
“The dangers need to be reported, but they’ve been sensationalised to the detriment.”
COVID-19 vaccines are currently available at the Berri Medical Clinic, Renmark Medical Clinic, Loxton Health Centre and Waikerie Medical Centre for those eligible through phase 1b of the rollout.
To check eligibility, visit covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au.