(Photo: Qld Health)
February 22, 2021
The Queensland rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine officially began on Monday with a nurse receiving an injection of the Pfizer vaccine at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
Gold Coast University Hospital is one of six hubs where the vaccine is being rolled out across the State.
The others are Cairns, Townsville, the Royal Brisbane and Women’s, Princess Alexandra and Sunshine Coast University hospitals.
These will serve as a base for the rollout program over coming months.
Vaccinations will offered on the basis of a three-phase program devised by Queensland Health.
So when will you get the opportunity to be vaccinated?
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Phase 1a
Phase 1a is for frontline health care and quarantine workers and residents in care facilities.
These include health care workers and staff who work in providing direct clinical care to COVID-19 positive individuals; in Emergency Departments; in Intensive Care Units and in Fever and Respiratory clinics.
Also included are:
- QAS responders and aeromedical retrieval teams
- Pathology staff, medical researchers and scientists working with SARS-CoV-2
- Priority quarantine and border workers; staff who work in quarantine facilities; staff who work in air and sea border security, including Australian Federal Police and Queensland Police
- Queensland residents working in international air crew; marine pilots
- Aged care and disability care workers (vaccination rollout managed by the Australian Government Health department)
Phase 1b
Phase 1b if for individuals with higher risks:
- Elderly adults aged 70 years and over
- Other health care workers
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 55
- Younger adults with an underlying medical condition, including those with a disability
- Critical and high risk workers including defence, police, fire emergency services and meat processing
Phase 2a
Individuals with moderate risks:
- Adults aged 50-69 years
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 18-54
- Other critical and high-risk workers
Phase 2b
- The rest of the adult population
Phase 3
- People under the age of 18, if recommended
