PLANS to open mass COVID-19 vaccination (COVAX) hubs in Queensland should not be implemented until after community pharmacies have joined the immunisation campaign, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia believes.
Announcing plans to open vaccination services to people aged 40 to 49 years, Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said that State health authorities were paving the way for mass vaccination centres later in the year (PD 03 Jun), contrasting with comments made by the State's Chief Health Officer (CHO), Dr Jeannette Young, at the Australian Pharmacy Professional Conference (APP) last month (PD 24 May).
Responding to the Premier's comments, a Guild spokesperson told Pharmacy Daily that the organisation would continue to press for community pharmacies to be involved in the rollout.
"Community pharmacies remain keen to come on board for the COVID-19 vaccination and we are watching the rollout in Queensland with great interest particularly to ensure our pharmacies receive all the required support and advice from both levels of Government," the spokesperson said.
"If Queensland Health have now decided to go down the path of the mass vaccination hubs as a model, it would be our preference that this be done after community pharmacies are brought onboard.
"The community pharmacy option offers more points to access COVID-19 vaccination across Queensland and with greater convenience to patients".
Speaking at APP, Young had told community pharmacists she wanted "pay back" for backing the 2014 Queensland pharmacy flu vaccination trial, which led to the rollout of pharmacist vaccination services.
"I do not want to go and stand up mass vaccination clinics in school halls on weekends," she said.
"I want you to do mass vaccination, because your communities know you... and you do it all the time with flu."
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