Victorian GP clinics where you can book your COVID jab

Thousands of Aussies have inundated clinics after appointments opened for the next stage of the COVID vaccine rollout. See the list of eligible GPs here.

GP clinics went into meltdown on Wednesday as thousands of elderly people rushed to make COVID vaccine appointments in time for next week’s rollout.

Six million Aussies are now able to make an appointment to get a COVID-19 vaccine from a general practitioner as the next stage of the rollout begins — but there was not enough vaccine to cope with demand.

Many patients were kept on hold, others were told they couldn’t make an appointment because there was not enough vaccine, others were trying to charge for the vaccine.

Some general practitioners were refusing to provide appointments to people who were not on their books even though this is against the rules of the program.

Tony Juhanson, aged 74, from Mount Camel in Victoria was incensed when a GP clinic in Bendigo insisted he pay for an initial appointment to check whether he was fit to receive the vaccine.

He would then have to return for a second free appointment to get the vaccine, he told News Corp.

“We need to get it out in the open that doctors surely can’t be making money to give access to a free government vaccination, I don’t think that’s right,” he said.

News Corp Australia can reveal the names of the first 1104 GP clinics who will begin delivering the AstraZeneca jabs under the stage 1b of the rollout from next Monday.

Demand for the shots is so high some of the clinics are already completely booked out for the first week of vaccine delivery.

“We’re only getting 100 vaccines a week and last week we sent a text to people who were eligible and booked out in the first hour,” Susan Karakostas, operations manager at the Hanover Street Medical Centre in Melbourne’s Oakleigh, said.

Most clinics have been allocated just 50 vaccine doses a week and Health Minister Greg Hunt is urging people to be patient as we wait for one million locally-produced vaccines to roll off the assembly line later this month.

The number of GP practices able to deliver vaccines will progressively expand to more than 4000 by the end of April.

Patient Joe Stopajnik with Dr Karoly Albert at Hanover Street Medical in Melbourne’s Oakleigh.

“No-one will miss out, whether they live in a city or country town or a very remote area.,” Mr Hunt told New Corp Australia

“Vaccines are the game changer in our fight against the COVID-19 virus and I urge everyone in Australia to come forward and get vaccinated when they are able to.”

Nearly three million Australians aged over 70, healthcare workers, people with some chronic medical conditions, those with a disability, Aboriginal people aged over 55 and 200,000 people working in defence, police, fire, emergency services and meat processing will be eligible for the jabs from next week.

Mr Hunt will today launch a website listing 338 clinics in NSW, 285 in Victoria, 247 in Queensland, 87 in Western Australia, 84 in South Australia, 36 in Tasmania, 18 in the ACT and 10 in the Northern Territory.

Even if you are not a patient of the practices listed you will be able to make an appointment at these clinics who must give appointments on a first come first served basis.

Before making an appointment people are being urged to check whether they are eligible to get a vaccine at this stage of the rollout.

Appointments can be made via a National Booking Service that can be accessed from the Department of Health’s website or by directly ringing the practices listed on the vaccine clinic finder on the same website.

Before making an appointment people are being urged to check whether they are eligible to get a vaccine at this stage of the rollout using Department of Health’s eligibility checker.

Patients attending an unfamiliar practice to receive the vaccine will need to take along documents such as a driver’s licence or passport that proves their age or a letter from their doctor outlining they have a medical condition that qualifies them for the vaccine.

Government issued documents from Medicare or Centrelink that list a person’s age will also be accepted as proof.

Australia’s medical watchdog, Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly and the World Health Organisation yesterday reassured Australians the AstraZeneca vaccine that will be used in the new stage of the rollout is safe after major European countries halted use of the shot over fears it could cause blood clots.

Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly says the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

“Extensive international experience does not indicate an increased risk of blood clots associated with the vaccine. Blood clots can occur naturally and are not uncommon,” the Therapeutic Goods Administration said in a statement.

Former Liberal MP now independent Craig Kelly from Sydney and Queensland Senator Matt Canavan yesterday called on Australia to pause its use of this vaccine.

Nucleus Network medical director Paul Griffin who has conducted clinical trials of multiple COVID-19 vaccines said blood clots “were actually fewer in the vaccinated group than in those that had not received the vaccine,” in clinical trials, he said.

Of more than 17 million people vaccinated only 15 events developed deep vein thrombosis and 22 had a pulmonary embolism.

“This is much lower than would be expected in a population of this size and is similar to other COVID-19 vaccines,” he said.