From Casuarina to Byron many of the local options for getting the COVID-19 vaccine or booster aren’t currently available over the Festive Season. However, Ocean Shores Pharmacy has managed to scrape together some extra doses of vaccines and boosters and have opened up more days to make them available.
Pharmacist, and owner, of Ocean Shores Pharmacy Brett Dyer says he has called in a few favours to get extra doses, mainly from the Gold Coast, to meet demand.
‘We ordered extra vaccines and boosters on 16 December but they won’t be delivered until next week,’ he told The Echo.
‘A number of places have run out in the area but I was able to pick up some extras up the coast. We should be able to get through the next week now.’
Pre-fill the pre-screening
Mr Dyer said the most helpful thing anyone seeking a vaccine or booster can do is fill out the pre-screening form on the app or online.
‘Filling out the pre-screening via the app online is essential for anyone wanting to get a shot,’ he said.
‘There are approximately ten questions and people need to do them all, not just name and medicare number, so that we can ensure everything runs efficiently. When people do it it helps us out so much. It takes another 15 minutes each vaccination if they don’t do it.’
Mr Dyer said they have now provided free internet access at the pharmacy to assist people accessing the app as they realise that access to the internet is a challenge for some people in the region.
Book online
To get an appointment you need to go online to MedAdvisor download the app and book at the Ocean Shores pharmacy or go online to the NSW Health Vaccination site.
‘Our bookings were going through the roof. I had no idea that no-one else in the area was doing boosters and vaccinations at the moment. So we have opened up extra days and called in an extra pharmacist and it is just filling up,’ said Mr Dyer.
‘All my staff need an award, everyone is doing an amazing job under the circumstances.’
Recent stories, information and updates regarding COVID-19
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Life shows life expectancy in Australia has decreased slightly for the second year in a row. An international team of researchers has found more evidence that COVID-19 came from animals in a Wuhan food market. The lab-leak theory that Covid-19 came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology – instead of a nearby wet market – was thrashed about in public recently, with the US Senate Homeland Security Committee holding a hearing into Covid-19. Eighteen schools in the Northern Rivers division of Richmond have received $25,000 each as part of the federal government’s School Upgrade Fund, Labor Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said last week. COVID-19 reversed earlier trends toward longer life expectancies. During the pandemic, life expectancies globally dropped by 1.6 years according to a new study published in the Lancet medical journal. Let’s not forget that Covid-19 is still a big issue in our community with 31,935 cases reported across Australia in the last week – an average of 4,562 cases per day. The Global Carbon Budget is about to be refreshed, giving the world a critical insight into how efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are (or are not) progressing. Masks will no longer be mandatory on public transport from tomorrow, Wednesday 21 September. SW Police are urging festival-goers at this weekend’s music festival to celebrate in a safe and responsible manner, whilst also being aware of COVID-Safety measures. The Northern NSW Local Health District reports that to 4pm yesterday, Sunday May 22, there were 40 COVID-19 positive patients in hospital in Northern NSW, with one of these in ICU.
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