Waroona pharmacy administering 40 COVID-19 vaccines per week

The Waroona pharmacy that became the first in the State to begin offering the COVID-19 vaccine has been administering more than 40 jabs per week since it launched. Terry White Chemmart rolled out its delivery of the AstraZeneca jab on July 12, becoming the first community pharmacy in WA to do so. Owner Judith Mather said eligible recipients from as far as Harvey, Mandurah and Collie had travelled to the facility for the vaccination. The outlet also expects to be able to roll out the Moderna jab by October, pending approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Ms Mather said she was pleased with the great response from the public. She said the strong uptake at the Waroona facility was likely because of the convenience of the pharmacy’s service. “It’s easier — with GPs, people have to book appointments and wait around because doctors are busy,” she said. “We aren’t as busy, you can book online or call and we even do walk-ins.” Ms Mather, pictured, said some people had sought consultation due to concerns and confusion about the jab. “Some information, especially on social media, is really irresponsible,” she said. “We have had lots of conversations with hesitant people and provide them with credible information.” Seven people have now died from the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia following the death of a 34-year-old NSW woman last week. WA has the lowest vaccination rate in Australia, with about 17 per cent of all West Australians aged above 16 fully vaccinated and about 37.6 per cent having received one dose. Australian Medical Association WA chief Mark Duncan-Smith blamed COVID complacency for the slow uptake across the State. “WA has the lowest vaccination rate of any State,” Dr Duncan-Smith said. “People are thinking, ‘there is no COVID here, why should I get vaccinated?’ So we’ve had a degree of COVID complacency.” WA Health Department statistics have also revealed only about two-thirds of regional health workers have received their first dose of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer, compared to about 85 per cent in the metro area.