ALMOST 700 Wentworth Shire Residents received their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination this week following the return of the Australian Medical Assistance Teams (AUSMAT) to the region.
699 first doses of the vaccine were administered during AUSMAT’s first visit to Wentworth Shire sites earlier in September, 430 alone at the Wentworth Showgrounds.
Vaccination sites were set up at Namatjira Reserve on Monday and the Dareton Library on Tuesday, with the Showgrounds used Wednesday and Thursday.
Wentworth Health Service Manager Kelly Dart said while AUSMAT had moved on to Balranald for Thursday, their expertise had helped Far West Local Health District (FWLHD) be able to manage the site alone.
“What we decided to do is split over two days but we have got the resources to run it, just the Far West team,” she said.
“The Alpha (AUSMAT) team when they arrived, that was the first dose team, they taught us such a lot … it’s made it easier because we can do it at any given time, as soon as we go look we are in a crisis we need to do another pop-up clinic we can just go bang.”
Ms Dart said the community had been more than willing to get vaccinated to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s not just the Wentworth Shire Community, it’s also Sunraysia that we’ve been able to do – some people live in Mildura but work in our Shire and we want to support them as well because we share the River and we share the resources.”
Wentworth resident Tanya Murphy received her second dose of the vaccination on Wednesday and said she was happy to do her part to help the state move on from the crippling effects of the pandemic.
“So all the businesses can get back to opening up,” she said.
“I think there’s too many businesses going down because of it … so we can stop all the lockdowns and everything.”
