Vax and the City: Every public health official in Australia agrees that mass vaccination is the only way out of this crisis. We at Time Out recommend that you get vaccinated as soon as you can, if that is appropriate for your own health. Please speak to a medical professional about what is right for you. Here's what you need to know about how to get a vaccine right now.
Vaccination is now Australia’s frontline strategy for beating the virus, as the highly transmissible Delta strain continues to outpace the nation’s contact tracing and quarantine protocols. But, as has been widely reported, Australia’s vaccine rollout has been far from smooth. Confusing and sometimes scary warnings about side effects, shifting eligibility rules and a disconnect between government directives and the health professionals responsible for enacting them has made booking a jab a frustrating experience.
AstraZeneca, which Australia has in plentiful supply, is relatively easy to access, but not everyone will be medically suitable or comfortable with this vaccine due to its rare side effects. By contrast, Pfizer has fewer side effects but is in very short supply in Australia, so finding an appointment for this vaccine can be hard, to say the least. Now, a handy online tool is aiming to take the stress out of booking a Pfizer vaccination by aggregating appointments across Sydney’s four main vaccination hubs: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; St Vincent Hospital; Westmead Hospital; and the vaccination centre at Olympic Park.
Covidqueue.com was created by Sydney-based software developer Fraser Hemphill in just one afternoon, but already since launching on July 30, it has had tens of thousands of visits by people searching for a Pfizer appointment. If eligible to receive a Pfizer jab (see the federal eligibility checker to find out), simply join the queue and you’ll be alerted as soon as an appointment becomes available. Once you’ve been alerted, you’ll need to book via the relevant website, so it’s recommended that users log in to the four vaccination hub booking systems before joining the queue.