Eligible Tasmanians aged under 60 have been given the green light to get an AstraZeneca vaccine from their GP.
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However, doctors say they are still waiting for more information as to how the process will work, as patients get their head around the latest in a long line of changes within the national roll-out.
What's changed?
On Tuesday Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a new no-fault indemnity scheme for GPs who administer COVID-19 vaccines, covering those who agree to give Australians under 60 the AstraZeneca vaccine if they ask for it.
It means in rare circumstances where patients believe they have been injured by a vaccine, they can access support or compensation if required - without the need to include their doctor or nurse in legal action.
Australia's vaccine advisory group - made up of independent infectious diseases specialists, epidemiologists, public health nurses and GPs - recently recommended Pfizer as the preferred vaccine for under 60s, due to rare blood clots linked to AstraZeneca.
This advice remains unchanged.
However, Mr Morrison said that doesn't preclude anyone under 60 from getting AstraZeneca, as the government moves to further accelerate the roll-out.
People are now encouraged to talk to their doctor and make a "risk-based decision".
Amid growing rates of community transmission and the threat of the new Delta variant, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Tasmania branch president Dr Tim Jackson said the changes would allow more people to get vaccinated, sooner.
"It's like any medication, any treatment - you are always balancing the possible risks against the possible benefits," he said.
"Previously when there was no COVID in the community, there wasn't a whole lot of benefit of rushing in and getting immunised in that age group [under 40s].
"But if there's COVID in the community, it's changed the whole risk profile.
"We have limited supplied of Pfizer and we have got AstraZeneca sitting in the fridge, so this allows us to actually use it.
"Plus people need to remember the risk of the clotting is, in under 50s, something like one per 100,000. So it's very rare."
Supply versus demand
The most recent changes, including mandatory COVID vaccinations for aged care health workers and quarantine staff, have been welcomed by the RACGP and Australian Medical Association.
AMA Tasmania branch spokeswoman Dr Annette Barratt said it was vital the government did everything it could to accelerate the vaccine roll-out.
However, she said patients under 40 shouldn't expect to be able to book in for an AstraZeneca jab with their GP today.
"We don't have the exact details of how it is going to roll-out yet. We are expecting those in the next few days," she said.
"So hopefully people will be able to get that vaccine next week, rather than expecting to get it tomorrow.
"They need to give their GPs and the [Health] Department a chance to nut out the fine details."
With a large percentage of Tasmanians over 70 already fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, and Pfizer the recommended COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 16 to under 59 years, Dr Jackson said many GPs had more vaccines than bookings.
"We have seen over the last few weeks, those aged 50 to 60 going to state hubs [for Pfizer], rather than general practice," he said.
"We've vaccinated most of our over 70s and vulnerable people now, so we're finding our clinics are not fully booked and some of our people are booked in and aren't turning up.
"So we do have supplies [of AstraZeneca] available in our fridges, that should be used.
"It's difficult to get a consultation [with a GP] at the best of times, so we are going to be telling our patients we are not immunising people under 60 with AstraZeneca, at the moment.
"We won't switch today, but maybe next week. It has to be a staged thing."
With the vaccination now mandatory for residential aged care workers, all staff are expected to receive at least one dose by mid-September.
Mr Morrison also announced an $11 million grant for residential aged care to assist with associated costs if a person experiences "some discomfort following a vaccination".
With between 70 and 80 per cent of the state's aged care workers estimated to have received their first COVID vaccination, State Health Commander Kathrine Morgan-Wicks appealed to all remaining workers to come forward.
"We have approximately 8500 Tasmanians working directly in residential aged care facilities across the state," she said.
"These staff are on the front-line of working with vulnerable, older Tasmanians and it is important that these staff get vaccinated so that they can protect themselves and the people that they work with.
"I appeal to all Tasmanians working in aged care to come forward for vaccination now, if you have not already received your first dose. We have appointments available in our clinics for you.
"The most recent outbreak interstate had demonstrated just how dangerous this Delta variant can be."
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