COVID-19 vaccination program commences in central and eastern Sydney Monday 22 February 2021

Dear Doctor,

Phase 1a of the national COVID-19 vaccine roll-out strategy starts on Monday, 22 February 2021 and GPs are asked to watch out for any vaccine related adverse events.

GPs are asked to report any and all adverse events following immunisation when patients present to their surgery with any adverse reaction after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Residential aged care facility residents

Health Care Australia (HCA) has been selected as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provider for residential aged care facilities in NSW. 

HCA will start vaccinating the residents of the first sixteen aged care facilities in our region next week, with the rest to follow in the coming weeks. 

For more information on the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in residential aged care facilities, including a readiness toolkit, see this link here.

Adverse event reporting

Any adverse event following immunisation at an RACF should be reported immediately using the AEFI form on the TGA website.

To report a suspected AEFI, please email your AEFI form to your local Public Health Unit at SESLHD-publichealth-IMMTeam@health.nsw.gov.au or SLHD-Immunisation@health.nsw.gov.au or phone 1300 066 055.

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital staff vaccinations

On Monday, Royal Prince Alfred (RPA) Hospital will start vaccinating healthcare workers in high-risk COVID-19 areas, staff working in quarantine facilities and ambulance and patient transport staff. 

Staff in these areas from Sydney and South Eastern Sydney Local Health Districts, Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, Ambulance NSW, NSW Pathology and NSW Police working in quarantine facilities will be invited to attend the RPA COVID-19 vaccination centre to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine. Staff will be observed for 30 minutes following the administration of the vaccination.

Adverse event reporting at RPA: If your patient received their COVID vaccination at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPA), GPs are asked to email a completed AEFI form to SLHD-COVID-Vaccination-Centre@health.nsw.gov.au