With demand now in decline, the NSW Health Covid-19 vaccination program is winding down.
The large vaccination clinics we all got to know so well in the past 18 months, including the South Western Sydney vaccination centre at Macquarie Fields, will be gradually closed.
The Macquarie Fields centre will close on Sunday, May 29.
This will allow staff working in the centres, including many nurses, to return to their important roles in hospitals and health services.
Outreach clinics will continue to operate for the vaccination of vulnerable and harder to reach communities.
NSW Health also has contingency plans in place to support GPs and pharmacies if rapid upscaling is required to accommodate an additional booster dose or a new vaccine is required for a new variant of concern.
As part of the new phase of gradual closure of vaccination clinics, the South Western Sydney Local Heath District has thanked its dedicated staff who have successfully administered more than 290,000 vaccinations at the Macquarie Fields centre since it opened in July last year.
“At the height of the Delta wave of the pandemic, the centre was providing over 35,000 vaccinations a week,’’ the District’s Covid-19 deputy controller Sally Walker said.
“It has been an incredible effort from our staff and I thank them for their commitment and dedication, which helped to protect our community during the pandemic.
“I also thank the thousands of people who came to our centre for their vaccinations to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from Covid-19.’’
Ms Walker encouraged the community to continue to receive their vaccinations from their GPs and pharmacies, which are now providing the majority of Covid-19 vaccinations in South Western Sydney.
“Vaccination is the best protection against Covid-19. I encourage everyone to make sure their Covid-19 and flu vaccinations are up to date as we head into winter,’’ Ms Walker said.
Appointments for Covid-19 vaccinations, including winter booster doses, can be made via the Federal Government’s Covid-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder.
