Vax and the City: Every public health official in Australia agrees that mass vaccination is the only way out of this crisis. We at Time Out recommend that you get vaccinated as soon as you can if that is appropriate for your own health. Please speak to a medical professional about what is right for you.
As part of an ambitious plan to get 1 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine into arms by the end of September, the state government has announced the opening of three more drive-through vaccination clinics in Melbourne.
Premier Dan Andrews also announced today that anyone over the age of 18 could get the AstraZeneca vaccine at any state-run hub throughout Victoria from Monday. "The best vaccine is the one that is currently available to you," the premier said.
The new drive-through clinics will be in Wyndham, Hume and in a southeastern suburb, around Casey or Cardinia. The government hopes to be able to open at least one of the new hubs as early as next week.
A drive-through clinic was opened in Melton on Monday, August 9, and more than 900 doses have been administered since then. There have been more than 100,000 vaccines administered at all state-run hubs just this week.
Andrews believes Victoria is on track to have 60 per cent of adults vaccinated by the end of September. He said the ultimate goal was for 80 per cent of Victorian adults to be vaccinated. “The quicker we get to 70 per cent, the quicker we get to 80 per cent, and then we’re in a very different world. One where lockdowns are not a part of the daily response.”
As of Monday, anyone between 18 and 40 or anyone 60 and over can book into a state-run clinic to get the AstraZeneca vaccine. Anyone between 40 and 60 can book into a state-run clinic to get the Pfizer vaccine. More bookings are coming online all the time, and the government recommends making a booking rather than attempting to walk in without an appointment. Some GPs and pharmacies are also offering both vaccines.