“I don’t think anyone should be worried, there is just too much riding on it, it’s important that we all get vaccinated.”
That’s according to Pelican’s Judy Hunt, who was one of the first people in the region to receive a jab at the newly opened mass COVID-19 vaccination centre in Belmont.
The 70-year-old was in the queue at 8am on Monday 19 July, ready to roll up her sleeve to protect herself and those around her.
Overall, she said her time at the centre was very pleasant.
“It’s been the most brilliant experience, everything has been so efficient,” she said.
“There is no stress involved, there are so many people to help, at every turn there is somebody here to help you.
“I got in the queue at 8am and I am now vaccinated after less than an hour.”
Wendy Murdoch administering Renae Yarnold’s vaccine.
The site at 393 Pacific Highway, Belmont has the capacity to administer up to 20,000 shots a week.
Hunter New England Local Health District chief executive Michael DiRienzo believes it is an exciting milestone in the fight against COVID-19.
“In just six weeks we have converted an empty warehouse to a built-for-purpose clinic, including medical treatment bays, waiting areas, a pharmacy preparation area, storage, staff facilities and public amenities,” he said.
“I think this [centre] is very important, while our GPs and hospitals have all done a great job at vaccinating the community I think you’ll see over the next couple of weeks that a mass vaccination centre like this will get us there a lot quicker..”
Moving forward, Mr DiRienzo asks the community to be patient as they “ramp up the clinic to full capacity”.
“I recognise that there is great demand for appointments across Newcastle and the Hunter, and that there have been some frustrations with booking,” he said.
“We know the COVID-19 vaccine is our best chance of keeping the virus at bay and ensuring we keep our communities safe, so we are very focussed on getting locals vaccinated as quickly as possible.
“To avoid lengthy delays and to ensure the clinic can function as it’s been designed to do, please make an appointment and only attend at your allocated time.”
From today, people who were booked to be vaccinated at the John Hunter Hospital clinic will now be vaccinated at the new centre.
As the clinic increases capacity, more new appointments will also become available via the COVID-19 vaccine eligibility checker – covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility
For the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit the NSW Health website.
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