Up to 40,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be redirected from regional areas to vaccinate Year 12 students in Sydney's COVID hotspots after the state recorded 239 new cases of community transmission of the virus Thursday, July 29.
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The NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said redirecting "tens of thousands" of Pfizer doses to Sydney may impact some people "in the bush" - but it was important Year 12 students returning to face-to-face learning on August 16 had the protection of vaccination.
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While Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips said she can't confirm whether any doses will be taken from the South Coast, she did say it was something she would "keep an eye on".
"I'm absolutely concerned about that (vaccines being taken from the region). I know our local GPs have worked really hard to have that vaccine available here," she said.
"I haven't seen any evidence there will be any changes, but certainly it's something that I'm going to be keeping my eye on over the coming days."
While Mrs Phillips praised the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District for being prepared to handle potential outbreaks, she said it was still important for the community to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
"Our Health District has been working really hard on working and making sure that we've got contingency plans in place. They have been doing a magnificent job with that," she said.
"But I think the most important thing we can do now is get people vaccinated and also for the federal government to make supply deals of the vaccines so more people can can get vaccinated."
Practice Principal of the Shoalhaven Family Medical Centres Annette Pham said she understood the move to have Pfizer vaccine doses redirected to Sydney Year 12 students and doubts doses will be taken from the South Coast.
"I can understand the need for the Sydney school children to be vaccinated. It's a very important year for them," she said.
"But the state government do have a supply of Pfizer vaccines that were perhaps going to be distributed to the big regional hubs.
"There was a regional hub about to open in Wollongong and I assume perhaps the doses are going to come from there.
"We are a general practice so we're supplied by the Commonwealth and as there's only four practices in the Shoalhaven that have the Pfizer vaccine, I doubt they will take it from us."
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