The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine in Coonabarabran has been somewhat thwarted by miscommunication within the government.

The AstraZeneca vaccine has been available in the shire for some time, but Dr Abul Salim, from Coonabarabran Area Medical Centre, said there had been some confusion amongst his patients due to the government constantly shifting its goalposts when it came to who should take what vaccine.

Dr Salim simplified it and said anyone over the age of 50 should get AstraZeneca and under 50s should get the Pfizer jab.

“It has been very confusing, the government is always changing its mind,” Dr Salim said.

“The vaccine is safe and people should have the vaccine.

“But people are getting this confused idea which is coming from the government and the media.”

Dr Salim urged anyone not sure about what vaccine is best for them to consult their GP or call the hotline on 1800 020 080.

Coonabarabran’s Peter Brookhouse (pictured above) has received the COVID vaccination from Dr Salim.

Mr Brookhouse urged anyone questioning the vaccines to delve into the legitimacy of their concerns.

“Look, any medical procedure carries a certain risk and receiving a vaccination is no different,” he said.

“You need to ask yourself, ‘why are you so hesitant’?

“If it’s because of the perceived mismanagement and the stuffing around from the government, that really shouldn’t affect your judgement as to if you have it or not.

“But if it is for a real medical reason, then just go and talk to your GP.”

While Mr Brookhouse said he had a slight reaction to the vaccine and had heard of others having similar, he put it into perspective regarding some reported blood clots the vaccine has been blamed for.

“I had my shot on the Saturday and I woke up on Sunday feeling a bit cranky,” he said.

“I’ve heard of other people feeling very ordinary the next day, but the symptoms are gone after 24 hours.

“As far as the blood clots are concerned, the birth control pill has a greater risk of causing blood clots in women than the vaccinations.”

Mr Brookhouse has distanced himself from the many conspiracy theories regarding the vaccines and offered a simple answer to those questioning its rapid production.

“You’ve got all these people saying there’s no way a vaccine could be created so quickly,” he said.

“But what they don’t realise is scientists have been looking at and developing vaccines for previous illnesses like SARS.

“So the technology was already there, that’s why it’s come around so quick.”