Local residents should not call the Parkes Hospital to make an appointment to be vaccinated for Covid-19.
“Your hospital cannot make a Covid-19 vaccination appointment for you,” said Chief Executive of the Western NSW Local Health District, Scott McLachlan.
“The Federal Government’s Covid-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker is online and will step you through a few questions to guide you through the process of making a booking,” said Scott.
“We know a lot of people are very eager to get their vaccination underway, but using the Eligibility Checker is the right way to do it. Our hospital switch boards are taking dozens of calls a day, and we need our switch operators available to take calls on a whole range of clinical matters.
“If you don’t have access to the internet, you can also call HealthDirect for assistance on 1800 022 222.”
Scott also encouraged people to double check where they need to go for their vaccination. “Some people are turning up to their hospital when they’ve actually made an appointment at a GP surgery or another location. Check the information you’ve been provided with when you make your booking and when it’s confirmed. We don’t want people to be frustrated, or even miss their appointment. Getting vaccinated for Covid-19 is too important.
“We know that some people may have to wait to get an appointment, but it’s worth remembering that people under 60 can still choose to have either the Pfizer or Astra-Zeneca vaccine, and that more vaccination providers are being added all the time, including the announcement last week that some pharmacies are now able to deliver the shots.”