Thousands of people either cancel or simply don’t show up to their vaccine appointments across Victoria every single day, Premier Dan Andrews has confirmed, while urging people to get whatever jab is first available to them.
Andrews said that around 10,000 appointments are being abandoned in one way or another every day across the state in Monday’s press conference, a figure which has doubled in the last week.
It’s suspected that this spike in people bailing on their jabs is due to the news that a million Pfizer doses are due to be brought into Australia from Poland, and will be prioritised for younger people living in Sydney’s hotspot LGAs.
Despite this news, Andrews stressed that people should still stick with their scheduled appointments, because the earlier people are vaccinated the sooner the state can ease back on its strict, ongoing lockdowns.
“An appointment today is better than a booking in a fortnight or a month,” he said.
“Turn up and play your part in vaccinating our way out of this, vaccinating our way into a very different set of rules.
“All the while driving these numbers down as low as we can possibly get them.”
He also used Monday’s presser to remind everyone that there are over 50,000 appointments available at state vaccination hubs and clinics around Victoria, and made a point of listing out exactly where those available jab spots are.
“At the Ford factory in Geelong, there are more than 4,800 appointments over the next week,” he said.
“At Sandown Racecourse, 3,300. Wyndham Civic Centre, there’s about a thousand appointments available over the next week. In Melton, 4,700 appointments.
“At the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, there’s some 4,000 appointments. At the Showgrounds, Melbourne Showgrounds, there’s some 2,200 appointments available. Plenty Ranges Arts Centre in South Morang, there’s some 2,300 appointments. And there’s also 1,700 appointments, approximately, available at Frankston’s Bayside Centre.
“It’s not just about Melbourne, though, and Geelong. It’s right throughout our state. So, to give you a couple of other examples for regional Victoria. Wonthaggi Town Hall, there’s about 865 appointments available there over the coming week. The Wodonga vaccination hub, there’s just under 800. And at Shepparton Showgrounds, there’s some 300, just a little bit above 300 appointments available over the next week.
“So, there are both Pfizer and AstraZeneca appointments available right across the state. Please go online, please book an appointment with confidence, please turn up.”
All adult Aussies (yep, even if those of us under 40) are currently able to get the safe and effective AstraZeneca vaccine through a GP. Click here to see which clinics are offering it, and talk to a doctor to see if it’s right for you.
Alternatively, you can triple-check to see if you’re eligible for the Pfizer vaccine here.
The best vaccine is the first one you can get, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.
