Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Health
The Tasmanian Liberal Government welcomes the Commonwealth’s decision to increase the rebate for GPs and pharmacies who administer the COVID-19 vaccination booster dose.
This increase in the current rebate, which will see an additional $10 per dose, is something that Tasmania has been advocating strongly for, along with other states and territories across Australia.
As part of our reopening plan, we have experienced a surge in demand across our state-run vaccination clinics, GPs, and pharmacies, following ATAGI’s decision to reduce the recommended interval for booster shots from six months to five months.
It is expected that more than 394,000 booster doses will be delivered, with over 46,000 already in the arms of Tasmanians, further boosting their protection again COVID-19. To meet the increased need for booster dose appointments, we have added over 10,000 appointments to our state-run clinics and we are looking at bringing additional clinics online in January.
GPs and pharmacies have played an important role in the rollout of our vaccination program, and I thank them for their support which has seen Tasmania achieve a very high vaccination rate.
As we reach more than 91 per cent of Tasmanians now fully vaccinated, it’s more important than ever to have every GP and pharmacist join, and continue to be, part of our efforts to get boosters into the arms of all eligible Tasmanians as soon as possible.
Tasmania has been a leader in the delivery of vaccines per capita and getting vaccinated has never been easier. The message is a simple one: don’t wait, vaccinate. And if you are due for a booster, make a booking now.
