By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Monash Health’s head of infection control, Rhonda Stuart, was the first Victorian to get the Pfizer anti-Covid vaccine on Monday 22 February.
It represented an “exciting turning point” for Professor Stuart’s team, which treated the country’s first confirmed Covid case in January 2020.
“This will stop diseases, stop deaths and people needing to attend the hospital.”
“It’s been a busy week,” she said after 1000 health care staff were jabbed over the next five days.
But it was also a busy year, with Monash treating about 160 people with Covid-19.
The hub at Monash Medical Centre administered 1000 jabs to Prof Stuart and health care staff in the first week.
The roll-out ramps up the following week, with clinics set up in Dandenong and Casey.
Over the next six weeks, about frontline 5000 health staff are expected to be inoculated with two rounds of vaccine.
Monash Health aged care workers and residents will also be immunized.
After six weeks, the rollout continues across 15,000 further Monash Health staff, then patients and essential workers in line with phase 1b.
The control conditions for the Pfizer vaccine are strict, requiring delivery and cold storage at -70 degrees Celsius.
The evidence so far shows it is more than 95 per cent effective as well as safe, Prof Stuart says.
Across 200 million doses worldwide, there had been “minimal” and “mild” adverse reactions “in line with other vaccines”.
In the meantime, Monash Health is awaiting the green light for the AstraZeneca vaccine from next month – which can be stored at more mild refrigeration.
“It is a different platform. It can be managed in a normal vaccine fridge, which will make it easier to give out in the community.”
