Fuck yeah: to help Victorians get vaccinated faster, anyone aged 18-39 can get AstraZeneca at state vaccination hubs.
Right now, if you’re under 40 you need to book a doctor’s appointment to get AZ. For some people (like me) going to a GP and getting the AZ jab has been a relatively quick and easy process. For others, there are long waiting lists and some are even being turned away at the door.
From Monday that will change, as the state ramps up its network of vaccination clinics. This is due to the growing COVID-19 cluster in Victoria, as well as new advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation.
“Given the current outbreak in Victoria, and recent advice from ATAGI, we’re expanding access to the vaccines we have available so Victorians can get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones and their community,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said in a statement.
“More than 1.7 million vaccine doses have been administered at Victorian vaccination centres and we want to see that number continue to climb – vaccination is our only way out of this pandemic.”
AstraZeneca will now be available to 18-39 year olds at the following vaccination hubs (via an online booking):
- Royal Exhibition Building
- Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
- Melbourne Showgrounds
- Sandown Racecourse
- Bayside Shopping Centre, Frankston
- Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre, South Morang
- Former Ford Factory, Geelong
- Kilmore District Health (Outpatients Building)
- Mansfield District Hospital (Anderson Hall)
The VIC government will also open its first drive-through vaccination hub in Melton. The hub will be the first of its kind in Australia and will be located in a former Bunnings Warehouse site.
#Breaking: From Monday, Victorians aged 18 to 39 can access AstraZeneca in state vaccination hubs @SkyNewsAust pic.twitter.com/CP6FTP3gFv
— Julia Bradley (@_juliabradley) August 8, 2021
Last Thursday, after barely a week of eased restrictions, Daniel Andrews announced that Victoria would enter a seven-day snap lockdown from 8pm. It’s the state’s sixth lockdown since March 2020.
According to public health advice, Andrews says the best way to combat the highly-contagious Delta strain is with short, sharp lockdowns.
“There is only one real way to deal with the Delta outbreaks,” he said.
Of course, the other way out is by getting vaccinated. So if you’re eligible, book your AZ appointment here.
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. 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.
