Staff writers
People aged 50 and over will be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine from today at the region’s first ‘high volume’ community clinic in Traralgon.
The clinic, based at the Traralgon Racecourse, is operated by the Gippsland Region Public Health Unit (GRPHU) and has been administering vaccines to the Phase 1a and 1b priority groups since the start of April.
National Cabinet’s decision to extend the vaccination program to adults aged over 50 (Phase 2a) has enabled the GRPHU to scale up operations at the community clinic which has the capacity to vaccinate up to 400 people a day, depending on vaccine supplies and demand.
GRPHU operations manager, Annelies Titulaer said Gippsland health services, local government and the Gippsland Primary Health Network (Gippsland PHN) had worked collaboratively to develop the community clinic model.
Over the next three months, five high volume clinics will be established in other local government areas across Gippsland.
“In line with the Australian government vaccine rollout strategy, the focus of the Victorian government’s public health units has been on vaccinating people in Phases 1a and 1b such as frontline health workers and vulnerable residents and staff of our public aged care facilities.
“We’re now in a position to give more local people in the over 50 age group, greater access to the COVID-19 vaccine.”
The community clinic complements the work being undertaken by Gippsland GPs who will continue to administer the vaccine.
