Milestone reached with 200,000 COVID-19 vaccines administered
Dr Cath Engelke visited the Yiyili community in the Kimberley to speak with Elders and residents about the importance of getting vaccinated.
The WA Country Health Service (WACHS) has now administered over 200,000 vaccines to residents of rural and regional WA.
From Kalumburu in our State’s far north to Albany in its south, WACHS clinicians are delivering the vaccine across an area spanning some 2.5 million square kilometers.
COVID-19 vaccination clinics now operate across more than 100 locations, in addition to the mass vaccination clinics that are popping up across Western Australia.
The emergence of these pop-up mass vaccination clinics is boosting vaccination rates across the regions – allowing country residents to walk-in to receive the vaccine at a time and place that suits their needs.
Along the way we've partnered with Aboriginal Medical Services, GPs and pharmacies, resource companies, industry and Commonwealth Government contracted providers to make the vaccine easier to access in regional towns.
And we've been working with Aboriginal Medical Services and Royal Flying Doctor Service to ensure even the most remote communities are protected against COVID-19.
The result of that collaboration? To date, more than 280,000 vaccines have been administered by all providers.
Margaret Abernethy, WACHS COVID-19 Vaccination Program Lead, said she was excited to see vaccination rates across the state continue to climb.
"It's been great to see country communities rolling up to protect regional WA against COVID-19.
"Let's keep the momentum going.
"Vaccination is the most effective way to protect yourself against COVID-19. I encourage all eligible country residents to roll up their sleeves and visit their nearest vaccination clinic."
A full list of regional COVID-19 clinics is available on the HealthyWA website