Kempsey pharmacy set to begin COVID vaccinations and Dolly Parton's funded Moderna is also on the way

Also, the Moderna vaccine (thanks in part to celebrity Dolly Parton), is expected to be available for pharmacies in September.

Owner of local AMCAL pharmacy, Greg Hollier, is eager for the first doses to arrive.

"We now have been accepted and completed an online order for our doses to arrive, which should be within the next fortnight," Mr Hollier said.

"The initial maximum order that pharmacies were able to put in was 600, but we can do top up orders as required."

In regards to training needed to deliver the jab, Mr Hollier explained that it was already well underway.

"We have specific COVID vaccination training that we have been doing online which was provided by the Government, and it's on top of us being a registered vaccinator already with all of the training associated with that," he said.

"I'm very happy we are included in the rollout, we are much closer to the rubber hitting the road and that everyone over 18 should get it done so we can fight our way out of this mess," Mr Hollier said.

This good news comes hand in hand with the Prime Minister's announcement, that pharmacies will be among the first to administer the Moderna vaccine from next month.

Renowned American singer Dolly Parton played a part in the creation of this vaccine, after she donated $1 million towards the Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and inflammation, who were in charge of clinical trial analysis and reporting for the Moderna vaccine.

Dr Naji Abumrad, who is a physician and professor of surgery, became friends with Dolly after she was hospitalised and treated at Vanderbilt in 2014, due to a car accident.

The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) Associate Professor, Chris Freeman, has welcomed the Moderna news and called for further improvements to vaccine access.

"Pharmacists are one of our most accessible frontline health workforces, and community pharmacies are open beyond business hours and on weekends. Pharmacists must play a key role for Australia to complete this vaccine rollout," Prof Freeman said.

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