Demand for the AstraZeneca vaccine in Maitland is already on the rise with 450 people rolling up their sleeves yesterday to get the jab at Lorn Surgery's mass vaccination clinic.

Doctor Craig Richards suspects the presence of a very high viral load in sewerage in Shortland, Merewether and Belmont will lead to a higher demand for the AstraZeneca jab and he is expecting a strong turnout at the next clinic on Thursday, August 12.

The surgery can access 800 vaccinations a week under the federal government's program - and even more if the demand warrants another increase.

He urged anyone with flu-like symptoms to get a COVID test and said there was a chance the sewerage detection would not lead to a local outbreak.

"Most of these sewerage detections don't tend to result in local outbreaks but if it is a high viral load perhaps it is going to be different," Dr Richards said.

"It could be someone who is symptomatic or asymptomatic. It may be a local or someone who has gone to the toilet as they are passing through. There may not be someone who is actually spreading the virus in the area at the moment, but right now we don't know.

"If we can get testing rates up higher there is the possibility of picking up other asymptomatic cases that we are currently unaware of."

A wide range of age groups rolled up their sleeves for the jab in Maitland on Tuesday.

"We had everyone from 18-year-olds through to 90-year-olds so it was quite a broad age range, and we had quite a lot of people who had their Pfizer appointments at Belmont cancelled," he said.

"Another clinic will be run at Maitland Showground on Thursday, August 12, and we'll probably do 600 vaccinations on that day.

"There has been a continual string of phone calls asking when the next clinic is so there seems to be quite a lot of interest."

To book a spot at the showground clinic phone the Lorn Surgery on 4933 2622 or go online to lornsurgery.com.au.

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