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The Australian Medical Association is pushing for COVID-19 vaccines to be fast-tracked into general practices amid a growing Pfizer shortage in Victoria fuelled by an explosion in the number of people getting vaccinated.
Some general practitioners are warning they will not have enough vials to administer second doses and keep pace with demand without an immediate boost to their dwindling vaccine supply, as Victorians in their thousands line up for their first dose.
People queue up for COVID-19 vaccination at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre early on Wednesday morning.
Credit:Eddie Jim
Their plea for more vaccines from the federal government came as the AMA’s Victorian chief called on other states to contribute Pfizer doses to boost Victoria’s supplies during its current outbreak.
The Inner North Medical Clinic in Brunswick currently has an allocation of 300 doses per fortnight.
Dr Shea Wilcox said the current demand means it is using its entire fortnight supply in a single day.
The undersupply has forced the clinic to turn away thousands of residents seeking the vaccine since the outbreak began.
âOur books are overflowing with people trying to get the vaccine that we donât have doses for. The vaccine supply is still a really critical problem for us,â he said.
Wilcox told the Guardian that the undersupply was so severe that it was forced to turn away two local supported living facilities.
Elderly Victorians too frail to travel to mass coronavirus vaccination hubs are being put on vaccine waiting lists stretching out to September, despite being told it is their “duty” to get immunised.
Big problem : Frail, elderly patients forced to wait as GPs demand more vaccine brisbanetimes.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from brisbanetimes.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.