Senior citizens, people with a disability and other Katherine residents who are eligible for Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout will initially be forced to travel to Darwin for their jab.
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The Federal Government announced on Wednesday more than 1000 general practices, Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Services, and GP led respiratory clinics will join the vaccination rollout for Phase 1B.
The Department of Health launched an online booking service, showing seven clinics in Darwin and two in Alice Springs which will have vaccine appointments available as of next Monday.
There were no clinics included in Katherine when the announcement was made on Wednesday morning.
In a statement the department said the number of GP clinics involved will progressively increase to more than 4000 by the end of April, but did not specify where these clinics would be located.
According to the Department of Health website, people who are eligible under Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout are:
- Elderly adults aged 80 years and over
- Elderly adults aged 70-79 years
- Other health care workers
- Begin vaccinating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults
- Adults with a specified medical condition
- Adults with a disability who have a specified underlying medical condition
- Critical and high risk workers including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing
The department said Phase 1B vaccinations will start around the country on March 22.
Phase 1A of COVID-19 vaccinations were rolled out in Katherine last week, with mobile teams from NT Health and the Federal Department of Health providing the jabs in local aged care homes and Katherine Hospital.
Australian Medical Association NT president Robert Parker has said Katherine's central location for the region and proximity to Indigenous communities make it an ideal location for a hub in the ongoing stages of the vaccine rollout.
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