COVID vaccine booking NSW: Belmont mass vaccination hub bookings system glitches continue

Frustrated residents living in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie have said they had been able to schedule their first vaccine appointment in the online booking system via the Eligibility Checker, but there was "no availability" for the second shot - which meant they could not complete the booking process.

They said the first available appointments at the hub were not until October, fuelling speculation the system "glitches" were related to the hub not having enough supply of the Pfizer to ensure everyone could receive their second dose.

While the Belmont hub has the capacity to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine, so far, it is only offering Pfizer.

COVID vaccination NSW

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Friday that NSW needed more Pfizer shots and that she would ask other states to give up their allocations of the vaccine.

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison said NSW would not be getting extra Pfizer doses.

Only people aged between 40 and 59 are currently eligible for Pfizer, unless they are in a "priority group" - such as frontline health worker, people with an underlying health condition, a disability, or who have an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background.

People over 60 are eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine, with people under 40 encouraged to speak with their GP to weigh up their individual risks for getting that vaccine.

NSW Health has told other media organisations there is little demand for AstraZeneca due to vaccine hesitancy and concerns relating to a very rare clotting disorder.

But a mass vaccination clinic held at Maitland Showground on Thursday - which was only offering AstraZeneca - had about 300 people in total either book or walk-in for a jab.

Dr Craig Richards, of The Lorn Surgery, said he had been surprised by the response, given he thought they would just be "mopping up" any people who had not gotten around to getting their vaccine yet.

He said many people who showed up on Thursday had said they'd had trouble accessing the AstraZeneca vaccine to date.

"Clearly there is some unmet demand there," Dr Richards said.

Hunter New England Health was approached for comment.

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