Vaccinations due to start here from March 8
Workers most likely to come into direct contact with a suspected coronavirus case will be the first vaccinated.
Vaccinations for health workers and aged care residents in Bass Coast will start from March 8.
Workers most likely to come into direct contact with a suspected coronavirus case will be the first vaccinated under the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccination program.
Bass Coast Health is not currently offering vaccinations for COVID-19, and has advised anyone wanting information on the vaccine roll out to call the Federal government's hotline: 1800 020 080.
You can also use the vaccine eligibility checker: https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility
Information about the phased roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination program is also available on the Department of Health website
Victorian vaccination program
From Monday this week, trained Victorian health professionals started delivering doses of the Pfizer vaccine to hotel quarantine and health hotel workers, airport and port workers, high-risk frontline health staff and public sector residential aged care staff and residents.
Hospital vaccination hubs will be set up at dedicated hospital facilities, hotel quarantine settings, Melbourne Airport or through mobile outreach teams.
The Barwon Health hub will begin its public sector residential aged care program from this week, trialling an outreach model to be implemented across regional Victoria.
Hubs at Latrobe Regional Hospital, which incorporates Bass Coast, will begin operating in the coming weeks, along with Albury-Wodonga Health, Ballarat Health Services, Bendigo Health and Goulburn Valley Health.
The state government advised Austin Health, Monash Health and Western Health hubs will deliver the initial vaccines to Victoria’s most at-risk workers from this week. Alfred Health will also work with the Monash Health hub to deliver vaccines.
Hubs will deliver the vaccine to public sector residential aged care patients and workers, with the Commonwealth responsible for providing the vaccine to residents and workers in private sector aged care and disability care.
The Commonwealth has allocated 12,000 initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine for use at the hospital vaccination hubs in the first week of the program, with the Commonwealth set to provide 59,000 doses of the vaccine to Victoria over the first four weeks.
The Pfizer vaccine was the first COVID-19 vaccine to receive Commonwealth regulatory approval from the TGA in Australia. It meets high safety, efficacy and quality standards. Two doses of the vaccine will be provided at least three weeks apart. The vaccine must be stored and transported at -70°C.
The AstraZeneca vaccine was approved by the TGA on February 16. The first doses of this vaccine are expected to be available for use in March.
As Victoria receives increased vaccine supplies of both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines, the rollout will progress through to phase 1b, 2a and 2b priority groups.
The Victorian government continues to work with the Commonwealth on options for delivery of these doses, such as more suburban and regional hubs, community- based settings and outreach models.
It said more information about additional vaccination centres will be provided over the coming weeks, as details are confirmed.
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