Victoria starts five-day vaccination blitz for disability and aged care workers
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The Victorian Government begins a five-day vaccination blitz for disability and aged care workers to protect their residents and staff from the coronavirus.
Starting today to Sunday, workers in private aged care facilities and the residential disability sector will be prioritised at walk-in vaccination hubs around Victoria.
Vaccination sessions will happen between 9 am and 4 pm, and workers are requested to present evidence of their employment.
“Victorians have come out in force to get vaccinated in the past week – now we’re stepping in to make sure those who work in our most vulnerable settings have priority access to a vaccine to protect our most at-risk groups,” Minister for Health Martin Foley said.
“We’ve seen first-hand the devastation coronavirus causes among our aged and disability care population – alongside getting tested and isolating, vaccination is the best way to protect the most vulnerable Victorians.”
The Victorian Government will also work with providers in supporting the access to state-run vaccination sites in order to increase the current level of vaccinations.
“All dedicated and hardworking aged care and disability workers need easy access to the vaccine, so we’re making it easier for them,” Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan said.
Priority access for staff will be ensured by active queue management, and staff will be eligible for the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines depending on their age.
The following vaccination centres are participating in the five-day vaccination blitz:
- Royal Exhibition Building
- Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC)
- Sandown Racecourse
- Melbourne Showgrounds
- Former Ford Factory – Geelong
- Bendigo Community Clinic
- Ballarat Mercure Hotel and Convention Centre
- Shepparton Showgrounds – McIntosh Centre
- Traralgon Racecourse
- Wodonga Vaccination Hub
While aged care and disability workers are already eligible and can get vaccinated at any time during opening hours, this priority access during the five-day vaccination blitz will ensure that they can be quickly vaccinated without the need to book in advance.
National Disability Insurance Scheme participants and other community members currently eligible for the vaccination program are also able to access their vaccinations at state-run vaccination sites.
Victoria has experienced record vaccination uptake over the past week as 95,676 doses were administered through state-run centres. More than 22,000 Victorians aged 40-49 have also received their first dose of the vaccine.
Vaccine capacity will increase in line with the state’s supply, so Victorians are encouraged to continue booking their vaccine appointments.
Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.
