SEARMS Community Centre with SNSW Health – Walk in Clinic Batemans Bay
Posted on 12 Jan 2022
We all want to help keep our mob safe from COVID-19. And so far, we’ve done a good job protecting our communities. But we need to keep going.
The COVID-19 Omnicron variant is spreading quickly in NSW and could hurt our mob. So, we don’t want to wait until it’s too late. The COVID-19 vaccines can help protect mob from getting really sick from the virus. It helps protect our community, Elders, family and friends.
Be vaccinated – Walk in Centre SEARMS Community Centre Batemans Bay
Two doses of either COVID-19 vaccine gives you around 90% protection against hospitalisation and death from COVID-19. Two doses reduces the spread by about 90%.
Over the next four weeks on Thursdays and Fridays, SEARMS is proud to support SNSW Health with it’s vaccination programme.
10 am – 3 pm
Ages 12+ Thursday 13, 20, 27 Jan and 3 Feb
Ages 5 -11 Friday 14, 21, 28 Jan and 4 Feb
There’s good reason to act
COVID-19 can cause serious illness and death, and you can’t predict who will get very unwell. This is not just about your parents and Elders – this is about you, your friends, and your community. COVID-19 isn’t just an older person’s disease – many young people are becoming sick. Over 80% of Aboriginal people who now have COVID-19 are under 40 years.
The sooner we are protected, the sooner we can bounce back. Let’s get visitors to our regions, open borders, travel overseas, family back home and our state back to business. Get vaccinated as soon as you can.
Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe?
All vaccines in Australia are tested to make sure they are safe. COVID-19 vaccines have been through a lot of testing to help protect us all quickly from the virus. They have been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). This organisation approves all vaccines and medicines before they can be used in Australia. The TGA looked at all the test results from COVID-19 vaccine trials throughout the world to make sure they are safe.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation also provided advice to health authorities on the use of the COVID-19 vaccines. And all organisations continue to monitor things closely.
What will happen when we get vaccinated for COVID-19?
When we get the COVID-19 vaccine, our immune system responds so that it is ready to protect us if we come into contact with COVID-19. The vaccine might not stop us getting COVID-19, but it helps stop us from getting really sick if we do. It works in the same way as the flu vaccine.
After we have the COVID-19 vaccination, we might feel some side effects. This might include aches and pains and a slight fever or tiredness. But the benefits of getting vaccinated far outweigh the risk of any rare side effects. If we are concerned about any side effects, we should talk to our doctor.
Further resources
If you have any questions about COVID-19 vaccination, check out NSW Health’s regular ‘Yarn Up’ sessions to get the answers from NSW Health and Aboriginal medical professionals. The Centre for Aboriginal Health hosted the first Yarn Up video event about COVID-19 vaccination on Thursday 29 July which was featured on the NSW Health Facebook page.
How do we find out more information about COVID-19 vaccination?
We can talk to our GP, Aboriginal Medical Service or Aboriginal Health Worker about what is best to help protect us. They can provide information about the COVID-19 vaccines, how to book our vaccination and what to expect. You can also find more information on nsw.gov.au.