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UPDATE 21/01 - 11.15AM
From Monday, Queenslanders will be eligible to receive their COVID-19 vaccine booster three months after their second dose, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced today.
Previously, the interval was four months.
EARLIER
Only 25 per cent of Cairns people eligible for their booster shot have received their third dose, health experts have revealed today.
A renewed call for residents to get vaccinated comes ahead of the region’s predicted COVID peak over the next two weeks.
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Tina Chinery, CHHHS Chief Executive, said the health service is seeing a ‘rapid’ increase in daily cases.
“Since the borders opened, we have seen 13,500 cases in our community and overnight it was 1,500 new cases,” she said.
“These cases are increasing rapidly in our community.”
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76 active cases are currently being treated in Cairns Hospital, with four in intensive care – two of which are unvaccinated.
The Cairns & Hinterland Hospital & Health Service (CHHHS) is also assisting around 170 patients in its virtual ward.
Ms Chinery said hospital staff are coping “extremely well” and are prepared for the incoming peak in cases.
“We put on an additional 40 graduate nurses which takes us up to 200 and that workforce is on the ground,” she said.
“We’ve also had up to 50 interns start this week.
“Using students as employees to do the vaccinations or the fever clinic testing has added additional staff that we haven’t had before.
“We know it’s going to get harder, but we’re prepared.”
Ms Chinery also said daily vaccination numbers have dropped to around 500 across the region – about half as much demand recorded previously.
Australians are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot four months after their second dose.
Around one in five patients presenting to the Cairns Hospital ED are COVID-positive, although most have mild symptoms.
Pharmacy students join the front line
James Cook University and The Pharmacy Guild of Australia have also announced today that pharmacy students will be trained to deliver vaccinations prior to graduating.
In a first for JCU students, trainee pharmacists will learn to administer shots in their second year of studies, rather than their fourth.
Academic Head of Pharmacy at JCU, Associate Professor John Smithson, said the university is proud to help push vaccinations in partnership with local pharmacies.
“JCU-trained pharmacists are at the coalface, and we have adapted our pharmacy course to further the involvement of our students,” he said.
“Our community pharmacists, who we work with very closely, are experiencing high pressure and increased workload, especially due to the addition of five to 11-year-olds to the eligible COVID vaccination population.
“In joining the effort, we will be ready to contribute a group of students trained to the same standard as qualified pharmacist immunisers, supervised by highly experienced North Queensland pharmacists.”
A pop-up vaccination clinic is operating at the Pier Shopping Centre over the next three days, targeted towards children aged five to 11.
You can also head here for information on booking a vaccination at a local pharmacy, although many are accepting walk-ins, including on weekends.
Main points
- Only 25% of Cairns residents eligible for a booster have received one
- The region is predicted to go through its COVID peak over the next two weeks
- JCU pharmacy students are also stepping up to deliver vaccinations in local pharmacies
