Vaccines are here! Long-serving local GP Dr Martin Gellatley expects a good take-up. 2508 District News reports.
Parkes Street General Practice has been at the frontline of Covid testing, swabbing thousands of people since its Covid clinic opened in May 2020. Now the surgery is gearing up to play a role in the nationwide vaccination effort.
Practice founder Dr Martin Gellatley has been a GP in Helensburgh since 1983 and seen generations of families come through his door.
“I have actually given immunisations to children of children I gave immunisations to,” he tells 2508.
It is Friday, February 19, two days before Australia’s vaccine roll-out is set to start. In the media, talk is all about the ‘infodemic’, as Facebook has blocked sharing of reputable news links.
However, logistics rather than misinformation are at the forefront of Dr Gellatley’s mind. The practice won’t administer the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine (which must be stored in an ultra-cold freezer) but is ready to assist with the Oxford/AstraZeneca. They’re just not sure when or how.
“Probably we will have to pre-organise it, not just have people drop in when they feel like having a vaccine,” Dr Gellatley says.
“They [AstraZeneca vaccines] are not individual vials, they are 10-dose vials, as far as I’m aware. We haven’t used multiple-dose vials for a long time.
“What it means is if you want to avoid wastage, you’d have to do 10 people at a time.”
Letters will presumably be sent out notifying people when they are eligible, he said. “It’s going to be pretty rapid … you go from not knowing what’s happening to ‘see you next week’.”
Dr Gellatley is confident NSW will cope and believes the Berejiklian government has done well so far. He does not expect many vaccine refusals.
“We have a very good take-up of vaccines in this community. The childhood vaccination rate here [in the 2508 district] is pretty good.”
2508 has heard various concerns expressed, from “it’s happened too fast” (a cafe waitress) to “it’s a conspiracy so everyone can be injected with mind-control microchips” (an Illawarra barber).
Dr Gellatley – who grew up in Africa and as a young doctor witnessed infectious diseases rarely seen in Australia – dismisses conspiracy theories as “delusional”. Concerns about the vaccines’ rapid development are “reasonable” but “not realistic”.
“Extrapolating from experience, there’s no reason to suspect it [the vaccine] is going to be dangerous long-term. You can get reactions, but it’s much better to get a slight reaction, like a slight fever, than to get coronavirus.
“You’re between a rock and a hard place. We know there’s potential long-term side effects from coronavirus itself – getting vasculitis and ongoing inflammatory problems in the lungs, stuff like that.
“Once the AstraZeneca comes here, I’m going to get it straight away.”
