- Published:
- Tuesday 1 June 2021
The Victorian Government is taking immediate action to keep people who live in residential disability settings, private aged care residents and staff safe with a vaccination blitz to ensure workers in these vulnerable settings are protected against coronavirus.
From Wednesday 2 June to Sunday 6 June, workers in private aged care facilities and the residential disability sector, which are managed by the Commonwealth, will be given priority access at walk-in vaccination hubs around Victoria between 9am and 4pm when they present evidence of their employment.
While the Commonwealth will continue to be responsible for in-reach in disability residential settings, Victoria will also work with providers to support access to state-run vaccination sites to increase the current low level of vaccinations.
Outbreaks across Australia have shown how fast coronavirus can spread across these sensitive facilities – and while all public sector residential aged care centres have been visited by state-run outreach teams for first vaccine doses, private facilities have lower vaccination rates and are significantly more susceptible to ongoing outbreaks.
Staff are eligible for either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines depending on their age. Priority access will be ensured by active queue management. The following vaccination centres are participating in the five-day 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
Aged care and disability workers are already eligible to be vaccinated at state hubs and can continue to attend at any time during opening hours. However, this priority access five-day blitz will ensure they can be vaccinated quickly during peak periods and do not 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.
All sites have a minimum standard of accessibility with nine sites across the State to be stood up as enhanced accessibility centres. If able to come to a vaccination centre, we strongly encourage Victorians with a disability to make a booking.
Victoria has experienced record vaccination uptake over the past week. In the week ending Sunday 30 May, 95,676 doses were administered through state-run centres – an increase of 66 per cent over the previous week.
Since the Victorian Government expanded vaccine eligibility at state-run sites to those aged 40-49 on 28 May, more than 22,000 Victorians in that age group have received their first dose of the vaccine.
Vaccine capacity will increase in line with supply. Victorians are encouraged to continue booking their vaccine appointments through the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 or by visiting walk-up centres if they are over 50.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Martin Foley
“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.”
“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.”
Quote attributable to Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers Luke Donnellan
“All dedicated and hardworking aged care and disability workers need easy access to the vaccine, so we’re making it easier for them.”