Orange parent, Kylie Hawke welcomes the new children's COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine while pharmacies play jab-demand catch-up

Parent and early childhood educator, Kylie Hawke says she's relieved to see the 10 microgram vaccine arrive for the age bracket, and "didn't even bat an eyelid" when it came to booking her son's vaccine.

"I'm just not willing to take the risk in not getting [my son] vaccinated," Ms Hawke said.

"I look at all of the vaccines that have helped to save peoples' lives - from viruses like polio, measles, chickenpox - if there's a vaccine there to prevent more people from dying, we're not risking going without it."

Last month the government announced it was narrowing the window needed to wait for a booster shot, and that sudden high-demand on vaccines across each state has placed even more strain on those charged with administering the shots to adults and kids, in Orange and Molong.

Molong Pharmacy owner, Sue Wilde says despite having 100 children's' shots booked in each week, the small town's chemist is booked-out until the end of January after being "caught out" following the announcement.

"Supply is fine now after getting our vaccination order in last week, though orders - made over three-weeks in advance - still caught us out in short supply since the government announced the shortening of the booster timeframe," Mrs Wilde said.

"We got bombarded with appointments after that, and there wasn't any kind of heads-up prior to [the announcement] being made, so we had no stock to keep up with the demand at that stage.

"Our Moderna stock was supposed to arrive last week, so we've had to borrow three [vaccine] viles from a pharmacy in Orange just to be able to fulfill the Moderna vax appointments."

Over at Hogans Pharmacy in Orange, leading pharmacist Frances Kinghorne says 146 vaccinations were administered on Monday alone, and that the bulk of those were booster shots. There was around 20 kids vaccinated, too.

"We also got booked out really quickly, with our next order hopefully sending double the amount of all vaccines across the board soon so we will have more available," Ms Kinghorne said.

"The issues around vaccine supply were more to do with boosters and shortening the timeframe - because before that stage, Orange was highly vaxxed - and when the sudden changes were made without warning, it was a bit of a nightmare trying to keep up."

Having had her own appointment backlog struggles for her son, Ms Hawke says she's also very aware of how children top the list when it comes to catching - and spreading - viral and bacterial infections.

"In the first year of working in childcare, so many workers will tell you that they've been the sickest that they've ever been - from common colds, stomach bugs, diarrhoea - germs spread like absolute wildfire because our little people are so tactile," she said.

"Children - from toddlers and upward - are also so susceptible to germs because of their weakened immune system as it is, so even with the milder [COVID-19] symptoms being reported in children ... to not actively do something to protect them and put people at risk within the community seems irresponsible to me.

"Vaccines are here to save our lives, not to prevent us from living them."

With the NSW population 16 years and over now 93.7 per cent double-vaccinated - and with the Centre for Disease Control's (CDC) mounting evidence suggesting viral transmission reductions by 40 to 60 per cent - Ms Hawke says her choice to vaccinate her child considered lowering the risks posed those at risk; and in particular, the elderly population within the community.

"Our younger generation seems to be able to battle viruses a lot better, but it can seriously impact our older generation," Ms Hawke said.

"Vaccinating my son is more or less protecting the elderly as well; and while I know vaccines don't magically stop transmission, it does lower transmission rates.

"[My son's] grandparents look after him two days of the week after school, so if there's the possibility of being able to protect them - and my son at the same time through vaccinating him as well - I'm going to take that option."