Covid vaccination pop-up clinic to be established at Corio Village

A pop-up vaccination clinic is headed for one of Geelong’s busiest shopping centres to arrest low, but improving, jab rates in the northern suburbs.

The Barwon South West Public Health Unit, in partnership with Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative, is preparing for a pop-up clinic at a northern suburbs shopping centre to help improve access to Covid-19 jabs.

The clinic will be held at Corio Village shopping centre near Woolworths on Thursday from 12pm to 6pm.

It comes as 59 new Covid cases were revealed for the Geelong region on Saturday.

All eligible people are welcome and no appointment is necessary, with Pfizer and AstraZeneca first and second doses to be offered.

Data published by the state Health Department this week showed 60 to 65 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and up in the 3214 postcode, including Corio, Norlane and North Shore, were fully vaccinated.

Corio Village will get a pop-up vaccination clinic. Picture: Alison Wynd

Only 25 to 30 per cent of eligible people aged 12 and up in the 3211 postcode, covering Little River, were fully vaccinated.

The 3211 postcode was among Victoria’s worst for Covid vaccination rates, according to the data.

Meanwhile, federal government data showed as of Sunday, more than 82 per cent of people aged 15 and up in Greater Geelong were double dosed.

Duane Luki from Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative hopes the convenience of the Corio pop-up clinic will improve access for those in the community yet to receive a vaccination.

“We hope the pop-up clinic will make it easier for our community members who haven’t

been able to get to a vaccination appointment to walk-in to the Corio Village and have easy access,” he said.

“We will have team members there to support any of our people, and urge anyone needing a first or second dose to come in on the day.”

Barwon Health’s vaccination operations manager Deb Kay hopes the clinic will support

the local community getting vaccinated and improve the area’s vaccination rates.

“We have chosen Corio Village as the location for the clinic as we hope it will mean people who are yet to receive a vaccination can easily access a walk-in vaccination in between doing their shopping,” she said.

“We also hope that with public transport regularly stopping at the shopping centre, this will also help reduce any barriers people may have found in trying to book a vaccination.”

Originally published as Covid vaccination pop-up clinic to be established at Corio Village