Launceston, northern suburbs come up on 'warning list' for lower vaccination rates

The postcodes of 7250 - which covers Launceston from Riverside down to Prospect Vale and across to Newstead, Ravenswood and St Leonards - and 7248 - which covers Invermay, Newnham, Mowbray and Rocherlea - were outlined as having vaccination rates below the Tasmanian average.

There were over 12,000 eligible unvaccinated people in the areas.

Health Department secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks said additional vaccination capacity would be provided to pharmacies and clinics in Launceston in an attempt to bring rates in line with other areas.

The postcodes areas of 7248 and 7250 have higher rates of unvaccinated people:

Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff named the postcodes areas of being of concern, and said there were plenty of opportunities for Launceston residents to get vaccinated from today.

"We do ... have over 12,000 people that are unvaccinated in the postcodes areas of Launceston and Newnham, and those postcodes are coming up on our warning list for high numbers of unvaccinated people per postcode," he said.

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"If you are over 12 ... you can be vaccinated at your participating local pharmacy by going to www.findapharmacy.com.au, at your local participating GP or at a state clinic.

"I can only reinforce time and time again, as health minister, that our greatest weapon to reduce the risk to all of us is vaccination, so please get vaccinated, please I urge you do not put it off any longer."

On Sunday, pharmacies that are able to vaccinate are the Chemist Warehouse in Mowbray, Launceston and South Launceston, Terry White chemists in Mowbray, Prospect Vale, Launceston, Newstead and Legana, Priceline in the Launceston K-Mart plaza, Better Health Launceston, Kings Meadows Discount Pharmacy and the Old Tudor Pharmacy in Prospect.

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The Door of Hope youth clinic had 375 vaccinations booked in for Sunday, with a capacity for 650 and extra staff to handle walk-ins.

From Tuesday, an additional clinic will be opened at the Door of Hope church from 9am to 5pm for anyone aged 12 or over.

There are 25,000 vaccination spaces available over the next six weeks.

On Saturday evening, Public Health announced a teenager had tested positive to COVID-19 in Launceston after returning from Melbourne. He was taken to the Launceston General Hospital and will be transported to a Hobart medi-hotel on Sunday.

Vaccination rates are also significantly lower in Tasmania's Aboriginal communities, with nurse immunisers encountering social media-driven misinformation among those hesitant about getting vaccination. The slow pace of the Pfizer rollout was also mentioned as a reason.

To book a vaccine appointment, call 1800 671 738.

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