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. Here's what you need to know about how to get a vaccine right now.
Eligible Victorians can now access thousands more Pfizer vaccinations, with the Victorian government opening up 60,000 bookings over the coming month. Around 14,000 Pfizer vaccinations will be available weekly in Victoria from August 9 to September 5, and anyone who meets current eligibility requirements can book either online or by phone (call 1800 675 398). Currently, Victorians aged 40 to 60 are eligible for Pfizer as well as many people under 40 who work in industries like healthcare or have underlying medical conditions.
An additional 15,000 Pfizer vaccination appointments have also been opened up for prioritised workers, such as health, aged care and disability sector employees who have not yet been vaccinated. Recently, Victoria revised the interval between first and second dose Pfizer vaccines from three weeks to six, which has allowed the state to open up more first dose bookings (with more supplies expected in September for the second doses).
Thousands of AstraZeneca vaccinations are also available as bookings and at walk-in centres for Victorians aged 60 or over. If you're under 60 and can't access Pfizer, you can also get AstraZeneca by speaking to a GP first (Time Out Sydney's editor got AstraZeneca – read more about his experience here).
Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are safe and effective. During Victoria's most recent outbreak, none of the locally acquired cases that had to be hospitalised had been fully vaccinated. So far more than 1.6 million doses have been given through Victoria's state-run vaccination centres, which is more than any other state or territory.