Hundreds of thousands of Victorians under 50 to get Pfizer COVID vaccine

More Victorians are now eligible to get the COVID vaccine from today. Here’s your guide on how to get the jab across the state.

Almost half a million Victorians under 50 can receive a Pfizer COVID-19 jab from Monday at 30 state government vaccination sites.

Health authorities are gearing up for a mass vaccination blitz as 400,000 eligible Victorians get access to the Pfizer vaccine, and a new mass vaccination centre opens at Melbourne Showgrounds.

Acting Premier James Merlino said the sites were ready to vaccinate workers in “critical industries” such as defence, emergency services, meat and seafood processing and disability workers in addition to healthcare, aged care, hotel quarantine and border workers under 50 who have received the Pfizer jab.

People with underlying medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease can also book an appointment.

“We’re in a good space,” Mr Merlino said.

“If you’re part of those eligible cohorts and you’re under 50, please call and make an appointment.”

Allison Lamb, Nurse Unit Manager from Western Health COVID Vaccination hub at the new vaccination site is at Melbourne Showgrounds. Picture Rebecca Michael.

A Department of Health spokesman said all Pfizer vaccinations will be administered “strictly by booking only” to control stock levels at designated centres, including the Austin and Box Hill hospitals.

People with health issues that are eligible for the vaccine must show evidence of their conditions.

Public transport, taxi and rideshare drivers will have access to the vaccine from May 24.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said ramping up Pfizer vaccinations today showed the vaccine rollout had gone “from strength to strength” despite the federal government failing to pump out one million AstraZeneca doses a week as planned.

“The job now is just to keep getting the vaccination program rolling out,” Mr Morrison said.

“If you’re over 50, you can go to your GP who are providing these vaccine and you can get vaccinated from tomorrow.”

Over 50s can be vaccinated at the new vaccination centre at Melbourne Showgrounds. Picture Rebecca Michael.

The new Melbourne Showgrounds vaccination site. Picture Rebecca Michael.

Mr Merlino said expanding the rollout would put the state in better stead to abandon what chief health officer Brett Sutton called Australia’s ‘fortress’ pandemic response.

“We need more, we can do more,” he said.

“Our state sites can deliver two to three times the amount that we’re doing at the moment, but it’s all dependent on the supply of the vaccine from the Commonwealth.”

“Once we can get to a point where the vaccine has been successfully rolled out to a large extent, then we can start making further changes.”

Vaccine equipment at the new Melbourne Showgrounds vaccination site. Picture Rebecca Michael.

While eligible people must book in their Pfizer jab, vaccination centres will continue to offer the AstraZeneca vaccine to all Victorians 50 and over.

From today, general practitioners can also administer AstraZeneca to all Victorians over 50.

As of Sunday, 311, 317 AstraZeneca doses had been administered in Victoria as all close contacts of a Wollert man who contracted the virus in Adelaide had returned negative test results.

@byoliviajenkins

Originally published as Hundreds of thousands of Victorians under 50 to get Pfizer COVID vaccine