Practitioners say there has been an increase in the number of Griffith residents getting their COVID-19 vaccines but the situation in Victoria is a reminder to stay vigilant.
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The Griffith Vaccination Hub is currently administering about 50 vaccinations each day, with the rollout of phase 2a last month causing a bump in the number of residents looking to get the jab.
Dr Marion Reeves says the amount of daily vaccinations has "certainly increased" but more must be done to protect Griffith's most vulnerable residents.
"What's happened in Melbourne in the last couple of weeks has shown us that we're actually all at risk," Dr Reeves said.
People are beginning to do the wrong things again and that means everybody is becoming much higher risk
- Dr Marion Reeves, Griffith Vaccination Hub
"It's very easy for the virus to travel because obviously it travels with humans and humans are still travelling."
"So we are actually all still at risk and until there is a lot more people vaccinated the lockdowns are going to continue and they're going to continue in rural areas and in NSW."
Dr Reeves says the vaccination hub has the capacity to deliver 100 doses of the vaccine each day but the demand is just not there yet.
She says many residents still have concerns over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which may be causing hesitancy in getting the jab.
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"I think there is still a lot of people who are unsure about the AstraZeneca and we're trying tomake sure that people are reassured about its safety," Dr Reeves said.
"One of the big problems is a lot of people are holding off from getting AstraZeneca and waiting out for Pfizer but what they're going to find is that they're not eligible for Pfizer because the requirements are quite strict."
"But the AstraZeneca is globally very safe and there is only a very small portion of the population over 50 who shouldn't have the AstraZeneca because of the risk."
According to Dr Reeves, many residents have become complacent with handwashing and social distancing, accentuating the need for residents to get vaccinated.
"People are beginning to do the wrong things again and that means everybody is becoming much higher risk," she said.
"Until more people are vaccinated that risk is going to stay high ... we're not going to be lucky enough to get away with it for too long."
To check your eligibility for a vaccine visit https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility. If you are eligible for the vaccine you will be redirected to book.
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