Many Illawarra residents keen to get their second AstraZeneca jab fast-tracked will still have to wait out the 12-week gap with some medical centres unable to cater for increased demand.
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The AstraZeneca vaccine is recommended for people aged over 60 and requires two doses, generally to be taken 12 weeks apart to be most effective. However the Therapeutic Goods Administration's advice has always been that the vaccine can be safely administered four to 12 weeks apart.
On Sunday NSW's chief health officer Kerry Chant advised people to contact their GP to ask if their second dose could be fast-tracked in light of the growing number of cases linked to the Greater Sydney outbreak.
"We are recommending that while the interval was three months, at this time because the case numbers are high, we want people to come forward and get vaccinated around that six-week mark," she said.
"We know that for the Delta variant you need the two doses, so by calling people to get a second dose, we might sacrifice a bit of long-term protection, but we're making sure you're protected earlier."
This prompted phone lines to run hot at doctors' surgeries across the region, and some hopeful of getting a quick second shot were out of luck.
For instance a message to patients from one Wollongong centre read: "If you already have a scheduled appointment for dose 2 of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine please do not call Wollongong Medical Centre to bring this forward.
"We do not have capacity to reschedule appointments at this time and guidelines still recommend 12 weeks between doses as this is most effective at providing immunity. We will contact you if the situation changes."
However at some centres, such as Bulli Medical Practice, patients were successful in their bid to speed up the second dose.
"We have been inundated with calls after Dr Chant's advice, but because we have our second doses already allocated it's just been a matter of bringing people's appointments forward," practice co-director Dr Julie Blaze said.
"We have had to put on extra clinics and staff to cater for the demand - and to answer the calls as the online booking system is not allowing people to bring appointments forward at this stage."
Dr Blaze said fast-tracking the second dose was a good option, particularly with the highly contagious Delta variant circulating.
"All along the advice has been that the second dose can be given from four to 12 weeks," she said.
"When you're in an environment where there isn't much risk of COVID exposure you can afford to wait 12 weeks - and there is data to suggest this offers more protection against symptoms of infection, mortality and hospitalisations.
"However you still get very good protection if you bring the second dose forward even to four weeks. And when the risk of exposure is higher, as it currently is with this outbreak, the message is to bring the second dose forward."
Dr Blaze said booster shots would be available for the COVID vaccine, similar to annual flu shots that target the strains in circulation, to ensure people stayed immune for longer.
She added that the rare side effects associated with AstraZeneca of blood clotting, were even less likely with the second dose.
Meantime while AstraZeneca was preferred for those aged over 60, she said younger people were opting to get the vaccine to get coverage now rather than wait to be eligible for Pfizer.
The Bulli practice is one of a small number in the Illawarra which will be also be administering the Pfizer vaccine from this weekend.
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