LYELL McEwin Hospital will be one of nine hubs established across South Australia during the state’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

Finders Medical Centre, Royal Adelaide, Women’s and Children’s, Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Port Augusta and Riverland General in Berri are the remaining eight hospitals that will act as vaccination hubs.

Phase 1A of Australia’s vaccination rollout will see up to 1.4 million doses administered to priority patients.

The first doses will be given to key frontline healthcare workers, quarantine and border workers and residential aged care and disability staff.

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is the first to be rolled out in Australia after it was provisionally approved for use by the Therapeutic Goods Administration on January 25.

Minister for health Stephen Wade described the vaccine rollout as South Australia’s ‘biggest ever peacetime operation’.

“Given the scale and complexity of the operation in front of us, we know that there will be road bumps, but we are determined to ensure the safe, efficient and timely delivery of vaccines in a prioritised manner,” he said.

“The Commonwealth Government is supplying the vaccines to the clinics. Their current advice on supply schedules means that the primary hub at the Royal Adelaide Hospital will open first when the vaccination supplies first arrives into South Australia and be the only hub open initially. The remaining sites will be opened as further supplies arrive in South Australia.

“Further planning is well underway for the roll out of the vaccine to the wider community, and we’ll continue to work with the Commonwealth to finalise those details.” 

The hubs are key sites for the initial implementation of the vaccine program.

Between 30 and 50 hospitals around Australia will be vaccination hubs, with additional clinics to be established around the state in future stages of the vaccination rollout.