Department of Health – Primary Health Care COVID-19 Response Teleconference 05/05/2021 – Meeting notes from Dr Maria Boulton

The Primary Care Implementation Group (PCIG) is an online meeting that includes most primary healthcare peak bodies. It is convened weekly by the Department of Health as part of the COVID-19 response.
Dr Maria Boulton attends on behalf of the AGPA.

Comments from AGPA

General Practice vaccination capability:  Preliminary data from the AGPA survey is showing practices have greater capacity.

Maria Boulton has contacted the Federal Taskforce letting them know that the message that Practices can email their PHN  to request an early start on vaccinating the 50 and over age group wasn’t getting through to everyone.

General Notes from the Meeting

Pfizer Availability: The Taskforce is aware that healthcare workers under 50 are having trouble accessing the Pfizer vaccine, particularly outside urban areas.
– More Pfizer hubs coming on board but this is dependent on the doses being available.
– Pfizer clinics will initially prioritise those under 50.

Astra Zeneca Availability: Increased doses of AZ vaccines are available for General Practices.
Email your PHN to confirm increased doses request, or to join the vaccination program.

Vaccine Hesitancy: Media misreporting on an adverse event is causing a drop off in people presenting for vaccines.
There is a need to incorporate more information on risk of vaccines for the community to access. Eg people who are having surgery, people who are booked for long haul flights – there is no evidence that either of these increase the risk of TTS with vaccine.

Patients are asking for more scientific advice: There is new information on TTS on the Dept website.

Some GPs would do more work in advocacy, however feel unable to due to advertising guidelines: GPs can advocate for the vaccine, they just can’t advertise their own service.