Pharmacy Daily | COVAX out-reach needs stock, staff

PLANS to roll out COVID-19 vaccines (COVAX) to children aged five to 11 years in schools through a pharmacy and general practice out-reach program will require primary care providers to receive appropriate supplies, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, says.

Following the launch of the Victorian State Governent's Primary Care Vaccinations in Schools program yesterday, Tassone told Pharmacy Daily that securing appropriate staffing levels and doses of the children's version of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would be key challenges for those looking to provide in-school services.

Under the scheme successful applicants will receive up to $6,500 to cover staffing, travel and equipment costs, with an additional $5,000 clinic establishment fee for each school, with additional loadings for specialist schools and schools in rural and regional areas.

Tassone said the scheme was "great news for families looking to have their children protected against COVID-19".

"The grants will provide another opportunity for pharmacies to expand their service offering to reach more eligible five to 11-year-old patients to receive a vaccination in a familiar setting to them, being their school," he said.

"Whilst the Guild welcomes this initiative from the Victorian government we have raised with the Victorian Department of Health the challenges that pharmacies are currently facing in receiving sufficient vaccine stock to meet demand and having the workforce available to be able to provide out-reach services.

"We are pleased that the Victorian government has made this investment on the back of the primary care enhancement grants that were awarded over the New Year period to expand COVID-19 vaccination services in pharmacies and general practice.

"Whilst the COVID-19 vaccination in community pharmacy program is a Federal Government initiative -- we applaud the Victorian Government for engaging with primary care to explore opportunities to help encourage as much uptake as possible."

As part of the program Victorian pharmacies will be asked to nominate a local government area and number of schools and students they can help vaccinate, with successful applicants paired with schools in priority areas.