Health Minister Stephen Wade addressed the South Australian public today with the latest information on the evolving COVID-19 situation in SA and vaccinations for 5 to 11 year olds.
Wade began by announcing the reach of an “exciting milestone” in SA tomorrow with those aged 5 to 11 being able to be vaccinated.
He said that this week 12,000 5 to 11 year old are booked in to receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and thousands more bookings are coming available over the coming months.
He said they are very keen to work with primary care partners being GPs and pharmacists.
As a part of the collaboration, they are making 10,000 state supplied vaccines doses for paediatrics available for GPs and pharmacists.
“The key message from GPs and pharmacists is that they were hoping for more supplies from the Commonwealth,” Wade said.
“We believe we can help in that regard.”
The paediatric Pfizer doses that will be administered to 5 to 11 years olds is one third of the strength of an adult dose. They will be administered in a two-dose regime with the second dose 8 weeks after the first.
He said we the state has received its first shipment of 30,000 doses. The doses being made available to GPs and pharmacists is coming from this state supply.
Wade said currently, school-based clinics will not be set up as there are enough mass vaccination clinics already set up across the state and there will continue to be more opening.
Some vaccination clinics will not be administering the paediatric doses, but many will. For example, the Mile End clinic will not as it is a Moderna vaccination clinic, and the paediatric vaccination is Pfizer.
Wade said there are currently no children only vaccination clinics. There are family centres so children and families can get vaccinated together, but they are looking at options for children only clinics.
Wade said that while they have every intention and hope for the return to school date to remain as it should with face-to-face learning, this will depend on the public health advice which will be given at the end of the week.
Wade said that for those who have tested positive to COVID-19, they should go to the SA Health website where there is tailored support available to them.
He said they are continuing the see 99 per cent of people recovering well from COVID-19 and to remember the COVID Care Response Team are there to support them 24/7.
As of today there have been 4,506 new cases of COVID-19 reported in South Australia with one death overnight of a 90 year old man in aged care.
If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, please seek testing as soon as possible.
Find your nearest testing site at www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/COVIDtesting.
More information is available at www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/COVIDcontacttracing.
For more information visit https://www.covid-19.sa.gov.au/ or call the SA COVID-19 Information Line on 1800 253 787.
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