General News
10 December, 2021
COVID-19 vaccine clinics to close during the holidays
AS the Cairns and Hinterland region vaccination rates increase steadily towards the 80% fully vaccinated state-wide target, the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service (CHHHS) decided to temporarily close vaccination clinics for the holidays.
CHHHS Executive Director COVID-19 Vaccine Program, Dr Don Mackie, said that the staff at CHHHS and other practitioners have administered around 180,000 doses since the vaccination program started in February.
“Our busy elves here, they’ve been working hard and thus we’re going to give them a break over Christmas,” Dr Mackie said.
“We’ll be closing the Cairns Convention Centre vaccination hub from Christmas day until December 30. We’re also about to be closing the centres up in Mareeba and Atherton, they will be closed until January 6.
“We’ve been planning really carefully how we’re going to go forward, making best use of the resources we have. So, we’re going to consolidate our activity at the Cairns Convention Centre in the new year. We’re going to temporarily close the centres down at JCU and also in Edmonton.
“We will still have our mobile clinics out and about where people live, work and play; and we will be able to stand up any of our CHHHS facilities for COVID-19 vaccinations if we have an outbreak.”
Dr Mackie said that everything previously mentioned is subject to review. CHHHS COVID-19 vaccine program director Kelly Pollock said rural hospital vaccine clinics would be temporarily closed over the holiday period as well.
“Our rural hospital staff have done an exceptionally great job in vaccinating people in our rural and remote areas,” Ms Pollock said.
“Thanks to their efforts, we can be confident going into the holiday period that if we do have an outbreak, many vulnerable people will not be at risk from serious illness associated with a COVID-19 infection.
“Christmas is all about gift giving, so giving our staff time off to spend with their families and friends is the best present they could ask for.”
CHHHS COVID-19 VACCINE CLINICS CLOSURE DATES
● Cairns Convention Centre - 25-29 December – closed, reopening on 30 December
● Cairns South Health Facility (Edmonton) - 12 December – closed until further notice
● JCU Smithfield campus - 12 December – closed until further notice ● Atherton Hospital - 22 December – closed, reopening 6 January
● Innisfail Hospital – 10 December – closed, reopening 6 January
● Mareeba Hospital - 18 December – closed, reopening 6 January
● Mossman Multi-Purpose Health Facility - 21 December – closed, reopening 6 January
● Mobile pop-up clinics - 21 December – closed, reopening 4 January
For your nearest clinic, including opening hours, head to https://cairns-hinterland.health.qld.gov.au/covid-19/vaccination
