Call for Jim’s Mowing franchisees to get early access to COVID-19 vaccine

The founder of Jim’s Mowing has come out with a bombshell request ahead of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout later this month.

The logo Jim Penman aims to use for his COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

Jim‘s Mowing founder Jim Penman is launching a campaign to get all of his 615 Victorian franchisees early access to the COVID-19 vaccination.

Speaking exclusively to Leader he said about 10 per cent of his franchisees were in the age group most at risk of contracting coronavirus and would lobby health authorities to have them take the vaccine “as a matter of urgency”.

“As soon as the vaccine is available I’ll be campaigning to get it for my franchisees as soon as possible,” Mr Penman said.

“There are quite a few franchisees in their 60s and 70s and they have a lot of contact with people and travel all around Melbourne and Victoria.

“It would be horrifying if someone got infected and then infected their clients — we would be campaigning for franchisees to get the vaccine as early as possible as matter of urgency and matter of just being responsible citizens.”

Melbourne franchisee Rob Cresswell, who was based across the northern and southeastern suburbs backed the move, and said he was at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 due to his age.

“I see up to 10 clients in a particular day in many areas of Melbourne so I could be unknowingly seeing clients who are infected or travelling to virus hot spots,” the 71-year-old said.

“It would be very important for my peace of mind and my customers knowing I’ve had the vaccine.

“We were locked down for so long last year, it was a terrible time for everyone and this would just help play a part in keeping Melbourne safe.”

The first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are expected to be rolled out in mid-late February for “high-risk priority people” at nine suburban and regional health hubs across Victoria.

People eligible to receive priority access as in the first phase of the vaccination program will be quarantine and border workers and all staff working in the hotel quarantine program.

Frontline health care workers, aged care and disability care staff and residents will also be among the priority list of people to receive the vaccine first.

Further rollout of other vaccines, including the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, will depend on the Commonwealth’s approval, volume and timing of doses becoming available.

[e-mail]