More South Australians are set to gain access to the COVID-19 vaccine, with the opening of the state's first mass vaccination clinic at the Adelaide Showgrounds today.
The Wayville clinic will initially open as a Pfizer-only clinic focused on health care staff, police and fire and emergency workers under 50.
It is expected to begin operating as a 'dual clinic' with both AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines from Monday 10 May, with the clinic being able to receive bookings from anyone aged 50 and over after that point.
Premier Steven Marshall said the Wayville clinic will have the capacity to vaccinate up to 3,000 people a week.
"The COVID-19 vaccination program is a vital part of the Government's plan to keep South Australia safe and strong in response to the pandemic, and that is why we are continuing to scale up the roll out of more hubs across the State," said Premier Marshall.
"This new clinic will allow us to give our frontline heroes access to the Pfizer vaccine sooner, and we are also very pleased to announce that we will open this facility up to Eligible South Australians in Phase 2a from as soon as May 10.
"While we encourage everyone to get vaccinated when it's their turn, we also ask for patience in the first instance as we expect a high level of interest from those over 50 years of age, and not everyone will be able to get their appointment straight away.
"More than 155,000 doses have now been administered in South Australia and we expect these numbers to continue to scale up with the opening of the three mass vaccination clinics across metropolitan Adelaide."
Minister for Health and Wellbeing said mass vaccination clinics would play an important role in the safe, steady scale up of the vaccine roll out.
"This Showgrounds clinic, along with upcoming clinics at Elizabeth and Noarlunga, will play a critical role in ensuring a safe and effective vaccine rollout across South Australia," said Minister Wade.
"While the majority of South Australians will receive their vaccination from their GP, the establishment of mass vaccination clinics will play an important role in ensuring more people have access to the vaccine when they need it.
"Staff from the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN), the Women's and Children's Health Network (WCHN) and SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) will all be working onsite at the Adelaide Showgrounds to keep our state safe from COVID-19.
"These dedicated health staff, who have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 for over 15 months now, are further proof of the dedication of our staff to do whatever they can to keep South Australians safe."
Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, Dr Emily Kirkpatrick, said the Showgrounds vaccine clinic will initially help boost vaccine capacity for South Australians in Phase 1a and 1b, with access to the life-saving vaccine increasing for even more South Australians from next week.
"We are continuing to make strong progress on the rollout and are proud of how many South Australians have rolled up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine so far," said Dr Kirkpatrick.
"In line with the Commonwealth's updated COVID-19 vaccination rollout, South Australians in Phase 2a will be able to access the AstraZeneca vaccination at key state clinics from next Monday.
"From 3 May, the AstraZeneca clinic at the Women's and Children's Hospital will be accepting bookings to anyone aged 50 and over, with the Showgrounds expected to commence a public AstraZeneca clinic a week later."
Eligible South Australians in Phase 2a can book their vaccination at the Women's and Children's Hospital via the SA Health website. Bookings for Phase 2a will be open at the Wayville clinic in the coming days.
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout across South Australia will be undertaken in line with the Commonwealth Government's Vaccine Roadmap.
Find out more about COVID-19 vaccinations at covidvaccine.sa.gov.au.
