Frontline health workers in South East NSW have had a reprieve, with confirmation the COVID-19 vaccine will be made available in Bega from next week.
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It means they no longer face the 11-hour round trip to Liverpool, Sydney, for the Pfizer vaccine as flagged last week.
Bega GP Duncan Mackinnon said he and his colleagues were informed of the move over the weekend.
"It's a fantastic outcome," Dr Mackinnon, RACGP General Practitioner of the year for 2020, said.
"It really is a win-win situation."
Dr Mackinnon said from next week the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be available through the South East Regional Hospital for the phase 1A rollout - emergency health staff and quarantine frontline workers.
Vaccinators from the Liverpool clinic will be travelling to Southern NSW to provide the jabs for health staff.
Federal Labor MP for Eden-Monaro Kristy McBain has also celebrated the "common sense approach" after last week expressing her shock and concern that the city focus took vital health workers away from their patients for two days.
"Last week I was contacted by doctors and nurses in the electorate who were facing two days off work and time away from their patients and loved ones in order to take part in phase 1a of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout...potentially leaving hospital and local GP clinics short staffed - a situation that was simple unworkable and unfair," Ms McBain said on Monday.
"I met with the Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Thursday to express my deep concern and that of our local health professionals - and I thank the Minister for his time.
"I am pleased to report that Liverpool Hospital vaccinators will now travel to Southern NSW to vaccinate health staff.
"This is a common-sense solution for frontline workers who have carried the weight of bushfires and the pandemic for over 12 months now.
"Thank you to local health leaders who raised this issue with me - you know your community and what's needed."
Dr Mackinnon said the next challenge is to provide vaccinations for the remainder of the population, with details beyond the initial phase non-existent at this stage.
The next phase is designed to include other at-risk groups such as people over 70, those with chronic illness, or health care workers not in emergency departments.
This group is likely to receive the Astra Zeneca vaccine, which can be stored the same way as the usual flu vaccine as opposed to the extreme cold chain requirements of the Pfizer version, Dr Mackinnon said.
"The issue there is perhaps of supply. In the phase 1B group, those particularly at risk, we estimate there are around 4000 people just in Bega," he said.
"In rural centres you could argue that we're safer than our city counterparts. We can be careful, we can be measured about it.
"But if the variants get away from us - the South African variant or the UK variant - then we lose the advantage we've been able to achieve here."