New drive-through vaccination clinics to be established in Melbourne

In a bid to speed up Victoria’s vaccine rollout, three new drive-through vaccination clinics are set to pop up in these areas.

Eight out of 10 Victorians 70 and older have already received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, and authorities and experts are now pushing to maintain that momentum among those aged 50 to 69.

While younger Victorians rushing to get the AstraZeneca vaccine have driven a huge rise in the vaccination rate, Premier Daniel Andrews has warned state-run hubs are not seeing “the same levels of interest” among people in their 50s and 60s.

Doctors are also reporting that some in their 60s are still waiting to receive the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, rather than take up the AstraZeneca option that is available now.

It comes as the Herald Sun can reveal the next phase of the federal government’s Arm Yourself campaign will go live this week, including a social media blitz with celebrities such as AFL legend Adam Goodes, actor Rachel Griffiths and comedians Hamish Blake and Julia Morris.

The state government is on the verge of finalising the sites of three new drive-through vaccination clinics – in Melbourne’s southeast, Wyndham, and the Hume-Whittlesea area.

Australia's first drive through vaccination centre in Melton has been popular.

Mr Andrews encouraged Victorians in their 50s and 60s to see their GP or visit a pharmacy or state-run vaccination hub for advice on getting vaccinated, and that message is a key focus of Victoria’s new Voices for Vaccines campaign.

“The best vaccine is the one you can get today,” Mr Andrews said.

The rollout will receive a boost this week as the first of a million doses that the federal government received from Poland arrives.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said 530,000 doses would be sent to Sydney to vaccinate people aged 20 to 39.

Victoria will receive 175,500 doses from the supply boost, an injection welcomed by Mr Andrews, who said he was waiting on details of how they would be distributed.

Mr Morrison said he would leave “no stone unturned” as the government continued to scour the globe for excess vaccine.

Australia has also arranged 900,000 AstraZeneca doses from the US to share with the Pacific, while Health Minister Greg Hunt last week praised the US for releasing surplus Pfizer supplies to the world, allowing Pfizer to fast-track more vaccine to Australia.

As of Saturday, 75.23 per cent of Victorians aged 65-69 had received at least one vaccine dose, 70.38 per cent of those aged 60-64, 67.08 per cent of those aged 55-59 and 65.28 per cent of those aged 50-54.

Australian Medical Association vice-president Chris Moy said it was still “difficult” to convince some people in their 60s who did not want the AstraZeneca vaccine.

It is recommended for their age group because the risk of dying from Covid-19 outweighs the risk of contracting an incredibly rare blood clot syndrome.

Dr Moy said there was “still a bit of a misconception and a lack of understanding with them for the reasoning behind that”.

“They say they feel expendable,” he said. “It has been hard to get past that with all the changing information.

“We’re in an emergency … and in an emergency, you have to use what you have to the best availability.”

On Sunday, the Victorian government announced an extra 84,000 appointments for the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines through its state-run hubs, after 200,000 slots were opened last week.

From Monday, Victorians aged 18 to 39 will be able to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine through any state-run vaccination centre.