Wednesday is COVID vaccine day at The Wellness House.
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As one of five GP practices in Orange charged with rolling out phase 1b of the national vaccination program, the clinic - set within a vast double-storey house on Bathurst Road - has set one day a week aside for vaccinations.
"We're doing just over 100 a week," said The Wellness House's Lauren Rigg.
"It's where we decided to start to get comfortable, rather than roll it out on a full scale and not be able to cope with the demand."
By close of play Wednesday the clinic was scheduled to have administered around 300 shots of the first dose of the the vaccine.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group in Immunisation recommended doses should be 12 weeks apart.
Phase 1a of the program was aimed at quarantine, border and front line health care workers.
Phase 1b is seeing vaccinations for the elderly; other health care workers; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults 55 and over; adults with an underlying medical condition or significant disability; and critical and high risk workers including defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing.
"Phase 1b has been very, very busy," said Mrs Rigg.
"There have been a lot of hoops to jump through - the requirements are pretty extensive in terms of observation of patients, paperwork for government, ordering vaccines and the control of stock."
The clinic is using the AstraZeneca vaccine - the vials of which must be stored at between 2C and 8C.
Mrs Rigg said this made storing the vaccine easier than the Pfizer product, which must be stored at -70C and can require special medical fridges.
She said there had been some concern expressed by patients about a potential link between the vaccine and an increase in blood clots.
Staff at The Wellness House been given the first vaccination, and some experienced common reactions of nausea, pain and fever, which subsided over 24 hours.
At Bloomfield Medical Centre's Orange Respiratory Clinic, practice manager Ann Carter said more than 2,500 people had been vaccinated in two and a half weeks, and that she'd put on three nurses and a GP to cope with demand.
Around 80% of the slots were being filled each day, she said, leaving a few dozen available for those who want to book.
The other phase 1b vaccination clinics are at Colour City Medical Practice, Orange Family Medical Centre and Orange Aboriginal Medical Service.
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