Look inside the ACT's new Pfizer vaccination hub

The ACT’s second Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination clinic, at the Canberra Airport precinct, is already booked out until the end of July 2021.

The clinic, located at 30 Nomad Drive in Pialligo, opens today (Tuesday, 29 June) and Canberrans have already booked thousands of appointments. The new hub will administer 1500 Pfizer jabs each week until the vaccine supply increases.

The clinic will then have the capacity to administer 3000 doses a week when second doses become due, three weeks after people receive their first Pfizer shot.

Initially, three rooms will be used to vaccinate people, with the second half of the building available as supply expands.

The clinic will be staffed with 12 nurses a day before increasing to 25, with an additional administration team.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said it is the government’s aim to vaccinate the ACT population as fast as possible.

“The statistics are very good in terms of vaccine take up in the ACT,” he said.

Almost 155,000 jabs had been administered in the ACT as of 26 June. Just under 10 per cent of the Territory’s population above the age of 16 were fully vaccinated as of 24 June.

Canberra Health Services’ chief operations officer, Cathie O’Neill, is very proud of Canberrans for taking up the COVID-19 vaccine.

“[People] have been coming out in droves to get vaccinated,” she said. “We have not had to do any significant marketing for our appointments, which is great.

“We have been keen to expand as soon as we can get additional supply. We always knew we would have a trajectory of increasing the requirement for both staff and for facilities.”

While people trying to get a Pfizer vaccine will have to book more than a month in advance at the ACT’s two Pfizer hubs, appointments remain available at the ACT’s AstraZeneca hub at Calvary Hospital and at around 70 GPs across Canberra for people above the age of 60.

Commonwealth data released last week revealed the ACT’s Pfizer allocation will almost double in July and August to between 17,000 and 19,000 doses per week. This will increase to between 34,000 and 50,000 doses per week around October and December.

AstraZeneca doses will be phased out by the end of the year and will only be available upon request as a supply of the Moderna vaccine comes through, with the ACT receiving 1000 to 2000 doses a week from September.

This will then increase to between 7000 and 10,000 Moderna doses per week from October.

For the latest COVID-19 advice and information, visit ACT Health.

The airport Pfizer hub will be open seven days a week from 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.

People can book their appointments online using the ACT Government booking system MyDHR, or by calling the ACT Government vaccination booking line on 02 5124 7700, between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm daily.

People can request a call back and will not lose their place in the queue.

The clinic is located 650 metres from the Canberra Airport terminal, via George Tyson Drive. Onsite parking is available.

A trial shuttle bus service will operate daily, and will initially operate every 15 minutes between 7:50 am and 4:00 pm to connect with Transport Canberra buses at the airport terminal, which is serviced by the Rapid 3 bus.