Australians can now get their new COVID-19 jab as more than 1,000 General Practitioner (GP) clinics prepare for the “Phase 1B” of the vaccine expansion, which will reach six million eligible people.

Department of Health targets aim to reach more than 4,000 practices by the end of April, including over 100 Aboriginal Health Services and 130 Commonwealth operated GP-led Respiratory Clinics.

Phase 1B will start next Monday and will be available to people aged 70 and over, along with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 55, healthcare and frontline workers and people with underlying medical complications.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said that 200,000 people had been injected until now but this new phase would now speed things up.

“No one will miss out, whether they live in a city or country town or a very remote area,” he said.

“This staged scale up will align with the supply of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine, and as more vaccine becomes available more services will come online.”

Australians who are eligible for Phase 1B can book online their nearest vaccination provider through the Department of Health website after completing an eligibility checker or by calling the COVID-19 vaccination helpline.

Available appointments on the service finder will expand as practices initiate systems, vaccines become available and as more clinics come on-board.

According to Hunt the practices would play a “major role” in ensuring all Australians have access to “safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines”.

By the end of October, the government plans to include an initial vaccine dose to all Australians.

Photo: Woman in blue long sleeve shirt holding white pen by Steven Cornfield available HERE and used under a Creative Commons Attribution. The image has not been modified.