RFDS delivers vaccines from the skies to the stations

With a waiting room of 7.69 million square kilometres, the Royal Flying Doctor Service is well versed in delivering expert health care to the most remote corners of the country.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been no exception.

Throughout 2021, the RFDS has been crucial in the delivery of COVID vaccines to the most remote parts of outback Australia, as well as continuing to deliver their essential non-COVID clinical and emergency services.

Top End vaccination centre

Working with the Northern Territory Cattlemen’s Association, the Royal Flying Doctor Service has been flying into remote stations in the Northern Territory, vaccinating station staff and members of remote communities.

So far, the RFDS has visited and vaccinated at Avon Downs and Murray Downs in the Barkly Region, Mittiebah, Alexandria, Eva Downs, and Brunchilly Stations, and also stations in the Victoria River District.

The RFDS has confirmed crews will return to administer second doses of the vaccine, within the next month.

Shearing shed stopover in NSW

It’s not just the NT receiving fly-in vaccine clinics. Down in Northern NSW, a RFDS nursing team from the organisation’s south eastern section made a surprise stopover to Bangate Station, nearby Goodooga, recently.

The RFDS nursing crew, who were operating a vaccine clinic in the township of Goodooga, reached out to the station offering remaining available Pfizer vaccines left over from the day’s efforts.

What followed was a quick 58km trip to the station to administer COVID vaccines to almost all present shearers, by transforming the shearing shed into a makeshift vaccine clinic.

To find out more about the tireless work of the RFDS, head to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.