Rose Bay Family Medical Centre

COVID-19 VACCINATIONS AT ROSE BAY FAMILY MEDICAL CENTRE

Like many general practices across Australia, Rose Bay Family Medical Centre has been selected to participate in the Australian Governments Covid-19 vaccine roll out.

General practices can commence participation in Phase 1b of the vaccination roll out.

The vaccine is initially being issued in limited supply and will be available to Rose Bay Family Medical Centre from early April.

More information about the roll out strategy can be found here: Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine National Roll-out Strategy.

Everyone who will be vaccinated at Rose Bay Family Medical Centre will be vaccinated in accordance with the guidelines within the National Vaccine Roll-out strategy. The Covid-19 vaccines will be available in phases. Groups of people get the vaccination at different times. The groups are Phase 1a, Phase1b, Phase 2a and Phase 3.

Use the Covid-19 vaccine eligibility checker to find out when you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine

Check your eligibility:

COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker

Vaccinations will be provided free by the government and can only be provided to eligible people who have a current Medicare card. The model proposed by the government is that the vaccines will be provided in designated vaccine clinics and as such no other medical consultation encounter should occur during this consultation. All Covid-19 vaccination consultations will be administered for free and be bulk billed.

The Australian Government has developed a Consent form for Covid-19 vaccination:

Consent form for COVID-19 Vaccination

The consent form explains a lot of information about the vaccination procedure and what you may expect. There is also a series of questions to be answered and your name and Medicare card must be written at the bottom of every page. Your patient information details must be completed correctly, and the consent form signed.

The information you provide on this consent form is especially important and will form a part of your medical record at Rose Bay Family Medical Centre. A second consent form will need to be completed for the second vaccination.

People who are not patients at Rose Bay Family Medical Centre who seek vaccination at our vaccination clinic will be requested to provide a health summary from their usual GP outlining any illnesses, medications, and allergies. In accordance with government guidelines, they will also need to provide proof of identification and proof of medical condition (if applicable) if they are in Phase 1b of the roll out. For patients who are in Phase 1b by virtue of their occupation they will need to provide a letter from their employer confirming their occupation. Our doctors are required to check the eligibility of all patients prior to administering the first vaccination and we will require these documents along with the completed consent form to be sent to us prior to confirmation of an appointment for vaccination.

All vaccination providers are required by law to record all vaccinations on the Australian Immunisation Register.

The doctors at Rose Bay Family Medical Centre will review the applications as a team and prioritise patients according to the eligibility guidelines and the specific needs of patients.

We remind patients they should also have their annual influenza vaccination. Please note influenza vaccinations and Covid-19 vaccinations should not be given within 14 days of each other.

We recommend that you prepare yourself for the vaccination well before attending the vaccine clinic by looking at the “preparing for Covid-19 vaccination” fact sheet produced by the Australian Government that can be downloaded here: COVID-19 vaccination – Preparing for COVID-19 vaccination

The Australian Government has provided the same Covid-19 vaccine to all general practices to vaccinate their patients. We suggest you review the Consumer medical information for this vaccine prior to your vaccination which can be found here: Consumer medication information (CMI)

The procedure we will follow at Rose Bay Family Medical Centre:

The procedure for receiving the vaccine at Rose Bay Family Medical Centre is the following:

1 All eligible patients must download and complete the Consent form for Covid-19 vaccination.

2 The form should be scanned and returned to the practice by email: covid19vax@rbfmc.com.au

For those who do not have email please return in an envelope marked “covid19vax consent form”.

3 Patients will then be contacted for an appointment time to have their first Covid-19 vaccination.

4 At the conclusion of the first vaccination, patients will be given an appointment for their second vaccination.

5 A second consent form will need to be returned to the practice before the patient’s second appointment is confirmed.

6. Patients are advised they need to allow plenty of time when they come for their vaccination and that it is a requirement that patients will have to wait for at least 15 minutes in the clinic after their vaccination to allow for possible adverse events after the vaccination.

Patients will NOT be able to come to the practice at any time for vaccination other than the specific “Vaccination Clinic” times offered. This is to minimise vaccine wastage. Patients are reminded that at the time of their vaccination the doctors will not be able to perform any other services, including prescriptions or referrals, so please do NOT ask.

Patients who are unwell on the day of their scheduled vaccination appointment cannot be vaccinated and must cancel their appointment by telephoning 93719474 as soon as they realise they are unwell, so their appointment can be offered to someone else.

Patients who attend Rose Bay Family Medical Centre must all abide by the Rose Bay Family Medical Centre conditions of entry which can be viewed here: CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

We appreciate your patience and consideration. Everyone eligible will be vaccinated in due course. We have a duty and a responsibility to vaccinate our most at risk patients as a priority.