The Victorian government will throw open the doors of its three mass-vaccination hubs for people who have previously only been covered by the Commonwealth's coronavirus vaccine rollout.
Key points:
- People in the 1a and 1b categories can get the vaccination at one of the three hubs
- The pause on AstraZeneca vaccinations will be lifted on Wednesday
- Martin Foley said it was important to rebuild confidence in the vaccine rollout
The news came as the government confirmed Victoria would resume its rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine for people aged over 50 and those under 50 who wanted it.
Anyone in the 1a and 1b categories can make an appointment to get a vaccination at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, The Exhibition buildings and the former Ford factory in Geelong.
Health Minister Martin Foley said there was a renewed sense of urgency to get the vaccination program done.
"We think [this] is an important opportunity for us to start to rebuild the confidence of Victorians in our distribution and vaccination program," he said.
"It's up to us all to make sure that we do our part to start getting out of this … by getting as many vaccinations as quickly and as safely into the arms of Victorians as we can."
AstraZeneca vaccinations to resume
Only the AstraZeneca vaccine would be available at the vaccination hubs, Mr Foley said.
GPs will still be responsible for the bulk of the vaccinations in Victoria.
Victoria paused the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine a week ago after the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommended it not be used on those under 50 due to a link to a rare blood clotting disorder.
ABC News: Greg Nelson
)The Health Minister said issues around training and liability for the use of the AstraZeneca had now been resolved and vaccinations would recommence on Wednesday.
Ben Cowie, who is in charge of Victoria's vaccine rollout, was one of the first healthcare workers to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.
"If I had my choice again, I would do so based on the knowledge that it is safe and it is highly effective," he said.
"So whilst there are very rare, serious side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine, particularly for people aged under 50 years, essentially we're balancing this against the risk of a pandemic," Professor Cowie said.
The plan means those in the 1a category, including quarantine and border staff, frontline healthcare workers, and aged care and disability care staff, may now get a vaccination at one of the three hubs.
Other healthcare workers, household contacts of quarantine and border workers, and police fire and emergency services who are included in the 1b category are also able to book a vaccination appointment.
ABC News: Daryl Torpy
)Others covered in the 1a rollout include people in their 70s and 80s, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 55 and over and adults with an underlying medical condition or significant disability.
People can ring the COVID-19 hotline on 1800 675 398 to make an appointment or they can just turn up, but they may have to wait longer.
Australia's Commonwealth-led rollout was already behind schedule when the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) issued advice that the AstraZeneca vaccine not be used on most people under the age of 50.
The advice means Australia has abandoned its previous targets as it tries to shore up supplies of other inoculations, and National Cabinet will now meet twice weekly to address the issue.
Plenty of AstraZeneca vaccine doses available
Jeremy Weimar, who is responsible for the COVID-19 response in the state, said there would be capacity to administer 100,000 vaccinations in the next fortnight.
"We would encourage those who are eligible, everybody over the age of 70, people in those 1b cohorts to please start coming forward either to your GP or to the state network," he said.
"We want people to get the right vaccine for them and to make sure it reflects their situation. If you have any concerns they must speak to your GP for that advice."
The 1a vaccination program is about 85 per cent complete and there are about 1.6 million people in the 1b cohort.
Victoria has about 60,000 AstraZeneca vaccines in stock and expects to get 50,000 to 60,000 per week for the next five weeks.
There are currently 10 active cases of COVID-19 in Victoria. All of them are in hotel quarantine.
Sunday was the 51st day in a row that there were no locally acquired cases in Victoria.
State-commissioned health services administered 445 doses of the vaccine on Saturday, bringing the total number of jabs delivered to 162,553.
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2021-04-18 04:41:25Z
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