People under 60 wishing to get the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine will need to go to their GP, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District has said, confirming they will not be giving first doses of the jab to people under 60.
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"In line with the ATAGI recommendations, MLHD will offer first doses of AstraZeneca to people over 60 years of age only," the health district's COVID-19 Coordinator Emma Field said.
This follows an announcement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday night that GPs who administer AstraZeneca to under 60s will be protected by a new no-fault indemnity scheme.
Australia's vaccine advisory group has recommended AstraZeneca for people over 60, but the Prime Minister said this wouldn't prohibit anyone under 60 from getting it.
Although the MLHD won't be providing first doses of AstraZeneca to people under 60, they said people who have already had their first dose "without any adverse reaction" can come forward for their second dose, "regardless of age."
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Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Tuesday that NSW Health would continue following the health advice from federal regulatory bodies and not administer first doses of AstraZeneca to people under 60.
"If you've had your first dose of AstraZeneca you should be getting your second dose, and that's certainly what NSW Health clinics will be doing," she said.
"We will accept anybody over 60 that wants AstraZeneca, we'll also accept of course anybody getting their second shot, but beyond that, you should talk to your GP."
Meanwhile, the MLHD said that all of their staff in residential aged care facilities (multipurpose centres) have been offered COVID vaccinations, following news that this would become mandatory for workers in this industry.
"MLHD has also worked closely with private aged care providers to ensure health care workers in these facilities have had access to the COVID Vaccine and will continue to do so until aged workers are fully vaccinated," Ms Field said.
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