Hedland healthcare workers among the first in the Pilbara to receive coronavirus vaccine

Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine was quick and painless, says one of the first health care workers to receive the jab in the Pilbara. Vaccinations began in Port Hedland last week with priority personnel — including emergency department staff and border workers — the first in line for the shot. Hedland Health Campus emergency department nurse Kari McGrath said she was excited to be one of the first people vaccinated. “It’s a great achievement that we’ve been able to receive our vaccine so quickly and I think this is something we will all reminisce about in future as to ‘where we were when we got our COVID jab’,” she said. Ms McGrath said her arm ached the morning after getting the vaccine but all side-effects resolved by the end of the day and did not interfere with her ability to work. She encouraged other members of the community to get vaccinated as soon as possible. “We have so many high risk, susceptible people in our community and the only way to protect them is to get as many people vaccinated as possible,” Ms McGrath said. Between 100 and 150 people are expected to be vaccinated every week for the next four weeks through the Port Hedland clinic. WA Country Health Service principal health officer Helen van Gessel said the clinic was fully booked and on track to use all of its allocated doses this week. “Any vaccine we have we want to get in an arm,” she said. “We are hoping as supply increases the number of people (vaccinated per week) will increase as well.” Dr van Gessel said it was important for people to remember that the two approved vaccines had gone through all the required approvals processes. “Why this vaccine could be developed faster than other vaccines is because of the resources dedicated to that,” she said. “But the normal steps for approvals haven’t been any different. We haven’t cut corners.”