One will run from East Maitland Community Health on Saturday 30th & Sunday 31st October, 10am - 3pm. The other will run from Rutherford Community Hall on Saturday 30th October, 10am until 1pm.

Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison says she is pleased that the clinics will be going ahead providing more people in Maitland with the opportunity to get vaccinated. It has been three weeks since the first of the walk-in clinics, organised and run by Hunter New England Health (HNE Health) ran in Maitland, which means that people who are due to have their second dose of the vaccine will be able to do so.

"This weekend is the final chance for those workers who have only had one vaccination to get their second dose before the limitations come in on Monday.

In other news:

From November 1, the exemption that allowed workers with only one vaccination to return to the workplace will be removed."

"The recent weekend walk-in clinics in Maitland have seen the community's first dose figures continue to increase week on week, for the past two weeks Maitland has been ahead of the State average."

Figures published by NSW Health on 25 October confirmed Maitland's first dose percentage as greater than 95% and second dose 84.1%, whilst the NSW State average showed as 93% first dose and 84.8% second dose.

The weekend clinics will be open to everyone aged 12 years and older, including those over 60, regardless of whether it is their first or second dose of Pfizer.

Ms Aitchison said: "Twelve to 18-year-olds and people over the age of 60 will benefit the most from the clinic, as they have had the least access to Pfizer, and have the most challenges with transport. Having a local clinic is vital for them."

Ms Aitchison continues to champion that local pop up clinics are essential to remove the barriers of people having to travel significant distances to get vaccinated.

"The increase in vaccination rates since rural and regional communities have had access to pop up clinics proves that these should have been implemented from the start."

Ms Aitchison said that with people able to travel from the Sydney and Central Coast areas to Rural and Regional NSW from 1 November, and the removal of exemptions for regional workers on Monday, it is more important than ever for people in the Hunter to get vaccinated.

"I will continue to call for pop up vaccination centres in Maitland until everyone who can be vaccinated has had the opportunity."

Bookings are not required however, people can speed up their visit by registering before they arrive at the clinic. Registration is via the NSW Health Vaccination Portal at https://nswhvam.health.nsw.gov.au/vam

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