The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is celebrating general practice passing the seven million milestone in COVID-19 vaccinations administered to patients across Australia.
Australian Government data shows general practice had administered more than seven million doses by early August. This represents over 50% of all COVID-19 vaccinations delivered in Australia – in patients own communities, in a setting they know and by doctors and nurses they are familiar and comfortable with.
General practice is the backbone of the vaccine rollout, with 5,150 general practices administering vaccines and more coming on board – 190 are joining in coming days.
RACGP President Dr Karen Price said the milestone demonstrated the extraordinary efficiency of general practice even under the most difficult of circumstances.
"This is a great achievement, and it reflects the role of general practice in the vaccine rollout," she said.
"General practice is the backbone of the rollout, and it makes sense.
"As we've said all along, there are GPs living and working in communities right across our country, from big cities to regional, remote, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
"We know most patients want to get their COVID-19 jab from their usual GP, like they do for their routine immunisations.
"General practice provides a safe environment for vaccination and continuity of care for patients – GPs can draw on a patient history and have the necessary training and facilities to manage rare adverse reactions. GPs are helping patients understand the benefits of vaccination, as well as rare side effects to watch out for.
"I'm very proud that general practice has stepped up to meet challenges throughout this rollout. We've seen increased administration of doses in hotspot areas, and steady increases across Australia. We are getting more jabs into arms faster as supply increases, which has always been the hurdle.
"I want to thank the GPs, nurses, receptionists, and everyone in the practice team who've gone the extra mile to make this happen and protect our community from this virus.
"I also want to thank everyone who has come forward to get their vaccine, protecting themselves and their loved ones."
The RACGP President urged those eligible but who are waiting to get their jab not to delay.
"My advice for anyone who is eligible to get their vaccination but is putting it off is don't – we have two very safe vaccines in Australia, there is no reason to delay," she said.
"The longer you wait, the more at risk you are of contracting COVID-19. We've seen how quickly the Delta strain spreads, the symptoms are more severe and it's affecting younger people and children too.
"There's no sense in risking contracting this virus – it can be deadly, and we are seeing many patients suffer the effects of long COVID even after they have recovered from the virus. This can include symptoms such as serious neurological, cardiac and psychiatric issues for weeks and months after the initial illness. It is not worth waiting.
"Get vaccinated as soon as you can, and do your bit to protect yourself, your loved ones and community."
The RACGP is providing information and resources on the vaccine to support GPs and patients. Information is available on the RACGP website here.
~
