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Dear Colleagues
Information about the COVID-19 vaccine roll out in the ACT
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is one of the most important health programs introduced to our city.
Here in Canberra the start of the program was marked when registered nurse Nikoletta Karagiannidis administered the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to COVID-19 testing nurse Maddy Williams on Monday 22 February 2021.
To date, 1,563 people have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The arrival this week of the Astra Zeneca vaccine in Australia is another important development in the program. We are in discussions with the Australian Government about the number of doses
the ACT will receive and how it will be incorporated into our program as soon as possible.
I have great confidence in our capacity to deliver the vaccine to our local region. Canberra has strong vaccination rates and the ACT Government has successfully administered many vaccination programs over the years. We are making good use of our expertise
in this area to ensure the safe and effective roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Understandably, there is a lot of interest – from stakeholders and the community alike – in the program’s finer details, including roles and responsibilities, what’s involved operationally and what it means for different sectors and parts of the community.
Both the Australian Government and local government have responsibilities in delivering the COVID-19 Vaccination Program. We’re working together to implement the vaccine program here in the ACT, and in parallel as we deliver different components of the program
to the community.
The Australian Government is managing all aspects of the program for staff and residents of aged residential care, staff and residents of disability residential care and in future stages will also manage all vaccinations administered in general practice (including
respiratory and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health clinics) and community pharmacy settings.
The ACT Government is currently vaccinating those most at risk of exposure to the virus, including frontline health care and quarantine workers. Everyone who is currently eligible to receive a vaccine through this phase of the program, is being contacted individually.
We’re encouraging all Canberrans to arm themselves with accurate and up to date information as it becomes available, to make the best choices for their health and the health of their loved ones, and encourage you to do the same, where you can.
It’s important to get COVID-19 vaccine information from legitimate sources. This is the best way we can ensure all people stay informed and up to date with accurate information. This includes
www.covid19.act.gov.au/vaccine.
You’ll also find more useful links below.
If you’re interested in getting the latest Canberra news and updates about the COVID-19 vaccination program, I encourage you to
sign
up to the
ACT
Government’s Community Partner Update. It’s a fortnightly e-newsletter providing information in a really simple and easy to understand format. With information about COVID-19
changing so quickly, it’s another great way to stay on top of what’s happening while getting reliable information to help support your own community and workplace conversations.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Kerryn Coleman
ACT Chief Health Officer, ACT Health Directorate
Useful websites and links:
These websites are being updated regularly, so be sure to visit them often.
Caption: Maddy Williams (left) and Nikoletta Karagiannidis (right)
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