Vaccinations can now be accessed at the Tom Price Community Vaccination Clinic from September 17 – 21, while the Paraburdoo Community Vaccination Clinic will be open for appointments on September 23.

The blitz is aimed at improving access to vaccinations in the region, with members of the Tom Price and Paraburdoo communities, surrounding Indigenous communities, Rio Tinto workers and their families set to benefit from the initiative.

Anyone over the age of 12 can receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the clinics.

The goal is to vaccinate everyone in Tom Price over the age of 12 – estimated to be a population of about 3000 people.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Simon Trott believes this is an important step in the collective fight against COVID-19.

“We are pleased to work in partnership with the Western Australia Government to launch this COVID-19 vaccination blitz in the Pilbara,” he said.

“We know how critically important it is to boost vaccination rates in the community and I strongly encourage everyone in and around Tom Price and Paraburdoo to take advantage of these local clinics and get vaccinated.”

The Tom Price clinics is located at the Tom Price Community Centre on Central Road, while the Paraburdoo Clinic will be located at Ashburton Hall.

Bookings can be made by logging into the VaccinateWA website.

Rio Tinto is also modifying its COVID-19 screening facilities at Perth Airport (T2 and T3) to include ‘pop-up’ vaccination hubs targeting workers returning to Perth.

The hubs will initially be available to Rio Tinto’s FIFO workforce, who regularly travel to and from the Pilbara. The hubs are expected to be up and running by the end of September.