COVID vaccine Victoria: Over-50s queue for jab as Melbourne hubs open
Thousands of Melburnians over the age of 50 have been jabbed after they became eligible for the coronavirus vaccine this week.
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Nearly 7000 Victorians have turned out to get their COVID jab in one the busiest days for delivery since the rollout began.
It comes as anyone over the age of 50 can now get the AstraZeneca vaccine at mass vaccination clinics.
The Health Department reported 6923 vaccine doses were administered across the state on Monday, bringing the total number of Victorians who have received the jab to 220,113.
In a tweet, the Health Department said: “Our thanks to all who attended a vaccination centre yesterday. The number of reported doses is a 105 per cent increase from the same day last week.
“Over 13,000 Victorians called our booking hotline yesterday — you can too, by calling 1800 675 398.”
Meanwhile, Victoria recorded no new locally acquired cases of coronavirus from 14,325 test results.
The state recorded one new infection from an overseas arrival in hotel quarantine.
It is the 67th day in a row that no new local cases have been acquired in Victoria.
There are 21 active COVID-19 cases in Victoria.
Call centres were inundated with booking requests and long queues formed at clinics on Monday as the number of people eligible increased for the first time at more than 20 state-run sites.
Victorians over 50 can now visit vaccination centres, with some also set up for walk-ins.
Initial estimates Monday night predicted more than 1000 people were vaccinated at the Royal Exhibition Building on the day while close to 2000 got the jab at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. The two high-volume sites are the largest but there were also queues at smaller centres in the suburbs and regions.
The Department of Health’s phone booking services received about 8500 calls Monday morning alone.
Victoria’s COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said it was the first time there had been a noticeable queue for vaccines at Jeff’s Shed.
He encouraged Victorians to book ahead where possible and to check the department’s website for waiting times at each spot.
“Whichever route you take, please start to now make your plans to get your coronavirus vaccine,” Mr Weimar said. “Ultimately we want people to have a good experience … and to tell their friends.”
Around 200 people eagerly awaited their jab at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre hub on Monday morning, undeterred by the long queues which almost stretched out the door.
Andree Tyson booked herself and her mother in for a shot at the South Wharf site on Sunday, as she couldn’t make an appointment at nearby medical centre in Balwyn.
She says the local vaccination clinics were booked out until June.
“My mum, she’s 83 and hasn’t been able to get into a doctor, they haven’t had enough of the vaccine …. which is not really good enough,” she said.
But despite some qualms about the overall vaccine rollout so far, the 53-year-old was “pleasantly surprised” with her experience at the exhibition clinic.
The mother and daughter duo waited 10-15 minutes before they received the jab.
“It was well organised and very good,” Ms Tyson said.
For those who turned up to the clinic unannounced, the experience was almost as seamless despite the longer wait.
It took Steve Coupe nearly 45 minutes to get his AstraZeneca jab after he arrived at the centre just after 9.30am without a booking.
The 69-year old Southbank resident gave up in frustration trying to make an appointment over the phone. He said he waited nearly an hour to speak to someone.
Living nearby, he decided to try his luck, and turn up to the centre without a booking instead.
He said while the process could have been a bit more efficient, the clinic staff were “fantastic” and the experience went “reasonably well.”
Mr Coupe added he had no hesitations about getting the AstraZeneca jab, despite rising community concerns over blood clot fears.
“Life’s a punt and I mean the percentages (of those who experienced blood clots) were pretty low … so I didn’t worry about that at all,” he said.
For Fran Gaffney, who also turned up without a booking, the experience also went smoothly despite “a bit of waiting around.”
Speaking to the Herald Sun just as she was about to get her jab, the 68-year old said she decided to get vaccinated this morning, as she believes demand will ramp up over the coming weeks.
Indeed, queues at the site were getting noticeably larger as the day went on.
“We just didn’t want to get stuck behind,” she said.
“So in the rush of it all, we thought we would get here early and get it over and done with.”
At any given time at the centre, there are 10-20 immunisers who are administering the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, that number is expected to increase over the coming days to meet the growing demand.
Health officials at the site are pleased with the progress made so far but acknowledge the wait times have been longer than they anticipated.
“That just means we will have to plan better for tomorrow and the days ahead,” said Dr Shazeea Mohamed Ali, one of two doctors supervising the rollout at the centre.
“It’s really great that we’ve opened up to everyone above the age of 50 … we’re just happy to have anyone and everyone here today.”
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