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Selfless siblings roll up their sleeves

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When Zac and Jacob rolled up their sleeves for a COVID-19 vaccination this morning it was an act they hoped would protect them and their family from getting the virus. 

The pair proudly showed off their “puncture point” to the Newcastle Weekly after being among the first people jabbed at the new mass vaccination centre in Belmont. 

“We’re getting vaccinated to create a community herd so other people don’t get sick,” he said.

“Being young, COVID is less likely to kill you but it is more beneficial to have the vaccine just in case. 

“It’s about protecting people in the community.”

It’s lucky they were not at all worried because it was needles aplenty as locals joined the queue at the opening. 

Jacob receiving his COVID jab from Wendy Murdoch. Photo: Peter Stoop

Zac and Jacob were eligible to receive the vaccine because of their mum’s field of work. 

Michelle is a health care worker and considered in the 1A category of the vaccine rollout. 

“It is a high contact area for me in the field of work I am in,” she said.

“I don’t want to risk introducing it to my family at home so I’ve asked them to be immunised as part of my household.”

Michelle encourages anyone who can to book in for their vaccination. 

“Look at what’s happening to people of any age, whether they are healthy or not, you can still get it and there can be health implications later down the track and you can end up in ICU on a ventilator,” she said. 

“Luckily in Newcastle [the people] who have been hospitalised for it have been discharged but when you see worldwide what’s happening I wouldn’t want it happening here. 

“We live in a bubble and people aren’t necessarily aware of what could happen.

“I think we will learn to live with it in the community.

“It’ll be like a flu that goes around and hopefully being immunised means we’ll have a lesser degree of it.”

From today, people who were booked in at the John Hunter Hospital clinic will now be vaccinated at the new centre. 

The site at 393 Pacific Highway, Belmont has the capacity to administer up to 20,000 shots a week. 

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

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