A surging vaccination rate in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Shires could greatly diminish the impact a COVID-19 breakout could have in the region, says Bega Doctor Duncan Mackinnon.
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"We know we're going to get cases and we're going to get a reasonable number [as borders are opened up and travel resumes]," Dr Mackinnon said.
"But it's going to be nothing like what could have happened last year because the vaccination rate has been absolutely fantastic."
He said those who had been fully vaccinated could still pick up the infection, but the severity of their illness would be greatly diminished by the vaccination.
"In an unvaccinated population about 10 per cent of people infected would need hospitalisation, and many will still catch it, but most of us will have a mild disease," he said.
"It is in the nature of the beast that we will have a number of infections,"
First dose vaccination rates in the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla Shires are both above 80 per cent currently, while numbers who have had a second dose are broaching 60 per cent in both regions.
"It's the only weapon we have against COVID and the Bega Valley and the Eurobodalla have been outstanding - it's just leading the state and that's an area which is not renowned for its uptake of vaccinations," Dr Mackinnon said.
"It's an awareness that we have to protect the vulnerable in our communities and that's our best weapon against it - we need to continue doing that and pressing home."
Dr Mackinnon said immuno-compromised, elderly, First Nations Peoples and pregnant women were the most at risk people to the virus and they made up a large cohort of people on the Far South Coast, but commended the community mentality to band together and protect them through vaccination.
He said a lower overall infection rate and less severe cases given the high vaccination rate would free up emergency services for those who really needed them.
"That way our health resources wouldn't be outstripped by the infection rate," he said.
Dr Mackinnon said Australia as an island nation and the Bega Valley by extension had been spared a lot of the anguish and trauma that other countries had faced when the virus ravaged their populations.
However, he said the Local Health District in the South was looking at ways of working closely with GPs and other medical providers to ease the load on the hospital system.
"The primary care workforce is by and large the biggest in the health system, that's the doctors, nurses, physios and OTs that work within communities."
He said the region was looking at strategies around in-home care known as 'Hospital in the home' and virtual care where GPs and local practices could work in tandem with hospitals and health providers to ensure anyone infected could be monitored and cared for while at home.
"It's shared care through the hospital in the home working with primary care to ensure people who are infected, but not seriously unwell, can be cared for and monitored."
Dr Mackinnon said it was an approach that Sydney hadn't taken up and said it should be an educational lesson for NSW Health.
"NSW Health hasn't learned anything about sharing care with those that do the majority of care for their patients, which is GPs and their practices."