Another state allows pharmacists to join vax rollout

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says 22 chemists in rural and regional areas will kick off the COVID-19 immunisation scheme later this month.

NSW has become the second state to allow pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccines with plans to ‘scale up very quickly’ from the initial rollout. 

Some 22 pharmacies in rural and regional areas where GP access is limited can provide the AstraZeneca vaccine to the over 60s from 19 July, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on Thursday.

Under the NSW pilot program, pharmacies in Gulgong, Narromine, Walcha, Dungog, Dunedoo and Merriwa will be among the first to give the vaccine.

The decision follows Queensland’s move where 49 pharmacies in rural areas without a GP service began offering COVID-19 vaccinations last month.