Nurses, needles and socks. Canberra Hospital's executive director Nick Coatsworth made sure his staff looked as good as they felt when they delivered the first COVID-19 vaccines on Monday.
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Dr Coatsworth purchased a bulk order of bright blue socks ahead of the rollout, ready for each of the staff to wear, to mark the momentous occasion.
"The socks I saw about two weeks ago online and I thought the entire team has to have them for the first day. So I purchased a shipment and they came in last Friday," Dr Coatsworth said.
Dr Coatsworth picked up 20 pairs for all of Monday's vaccination staff, including 12 healthcare professionals who administered the doses.
Healthcare workers dispensed 50 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday at the Garran Surge Centre in Canberra, with 22-year-old nurse, Maddy Williams, the first person to receive the jab in the ACT.
Along with healthcare workers and staff, Dr Coatsworth also set aside a pair for Health Minister Greg Hunt.
"Nick, just before joining you, gave me a pair of socks and if you notice there is a needle and a spiked protein in its last moments and that is symbolic of what today is about," Mr Hunt said.
The minister will be waiting until after being vaccinated before wearing them.
Appointments will ramp up over the next few days, with Canberra Health Centre hoping for at least 250 vaccinations per day to be carried out by Wednesday.
More socks can be purchased for additional staff as appointments increase over the week, Dr Coatsworth said.
"There is obviously more where that came from. We do have more than 20 vaccination staff, but just for the first day I wanted to make sure I had enough for the staff who are here today," Dr Coatsworth said.
While it's not compulsory to wear them, many staff opted to rock the socks on the historic day.
"I've seen a couple of people wearing their socks. Definitely our executive director of ambulatory services, Cathie O'Neil, who has overseen this entire project for this and done a wonderful job. She has got hers on and I have got mine on," Dr Coatsworth said.
Dr Coatsworth found the socks after searching online and has funded them himself.
The blue-hued socks, that feature a cartoon image of the coronavirus and a vaccine, can be purchased for $16.95 via the online stock store Bamboozled.