Vaccines good to go

The new mass vaccination clinic opened at 9.30am at the Wonthaggi Town Hall on Monday and quickly got to work.

By 3pm the new clinic had vaccinated 102 people.

A glitch last week with the phone booking service has been resolved and people can now book in.

Bass Coast Health CEO Jan Child urged residents to take advantage of the new clinic and book in for their vaccination as soon as possible.

“We know there are many people who are hesitant to be vaccinated, but please don’t wait. Every piece of evidence says that it is safer to be vaccinated than to have Covid.”

She said people should not become complacent because there were currently no recorded cases in the shire.

“There is a view from some people that we do not need to be vaccinated because there is no Covid in our community. At some stage in the future, we will have Covid in our community again, because it is not eliminated, and we cannot close our borders completely. That time may not be far away.

“The quicker individuals get vaccinated, the less likely it is that they will be sick or die from Covid,” Ms Child said.

“If more people in our community get vaccinated against Covid, less people will get sick or die from the next wave. This is most important for our vulnerable communities – older persons and those with other chronic health issues.”

The clinic will be open Monday, Tuesday and Friday each week, from 9.30am until 3pm. To book in call 1800 675 398.

Side effects

Dr Dan Crompton, Clinical Director of Emergency Services at Bass Coast Health said he understood that people were worried about the side effects of the vaccines.

“Every vaccination has some side effects, but like AstraZeneca, most are routine and serious and fatal side effects are very rare,” Dr Crompton said.

“We have had no reports of any person, of any age, getting blood clots related to the vaccination. Blood clots are a very common medical issue in our community.

“We see them routinely because of people travelling long distances in the air or in cars, where they are not keeping their circulation active. We also see blood clots as a consequence of commonly used medications or other health conditions.”

Dr Crompton said people experience side effects from both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine.

“It is relatively common that people who have the vaccines will have mild side effects,” he said.

“They include such things as headaches and tiredness and discomfort at the injection site. Around 20 per cent of those people vaccinated have these minor side effects. Most people feel fine. The side effects are minor compared to getting COVID-19.”

He stressed that serious and fatal side effects are “very rare”.

“If anyone experiences side effects, our staff at the ED are well equipped to investigate and manage any medical issues and instigate life-saving treatment, if required.”

Don’t delay

He urged people not to delay getting their first vaccination.

“Both vaccines require two doses, which means the efficacy or effectiveness to combat the virus takes time. For the Pfizer vaccine there is 21 days between doses. For the Astra Zeneca vaccine there is 12 weeks between each dose.

“So, to be fully immunised takes time and a Pandemic or third wave, as we have witnessed overseas, does not! When enough people in the community are vaccinated, it slows down the spread of disease.”

He also reminded people not to underestimate the impact of Covid.

“Covid-19 can spread quickly and widely. It is much worse than the flu, and importantly, we are seeing new strains that are far more contagious than the initial strains. There are many people who actually had Covid in the first and second wave who are still suffering long-Covid today, and who still are not able to function like they used to,” Dr Crompton said.

“Covid can have a very long health impact, even on the young, and the people who are usually very well.”

To check your eligibility for a vaccine, visit health.gov.au/initiatives-and-programs/covid-19-vaccines/phase-1b.

More information about locations, vaccines and walk-in access is available at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine.