Canberra’s vaccination clinics will soon open their books for 16 to 29-year-olds, with bookings now being taken as the nation’s capital looks to get ahead of the national vaccination average once again.
ACT Health says young Canberrans can register in the MyDHR system now, so that they are ready to book a COVID-19 vaccination in the coming weeks.
“Canberrans have shown a willingness to get vaccinated as soon as possible. We are leading the nation in the rollout, and I expect that the ACT will continue to be above the national average in the months ahead as supply increases,” said Chief Minister, Andrew Barr.
“16 to 29-year-old Canberrans can register now for MyDHR to make it faster and easier to book an appointment when they become eligible.
“The registration process worked extremely well for 30 to 39-year-olds, with more than 20,000 people in this age group booking an appointment on the first day of eligibility.”
“Many younger Canberrans have been rolling up their sleeves and getting an Astra Zeneca vaccine from their GP or pharmacist, and we expect there to be strong demand from the roughly 64,000 people remaining in this cohort.”
Minister for Health, Rachel Stephen-Smith said with eligibility for Pfizer on the way, young Canberrans would have more options when it comes to being vaccinated.
“Becoming eligible to make a Pfizer booking will be a welcome development for many 16 to 29-year-olds who have seen the impact of the Delta strain on younger people,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.
“I expect demand to be just as high for this age group as it has been each time we have opened eligibility for other cohorts.
“Young Canberrans will now have another option when making decisions about when, where and with which vaccine to protect themselves and their community from COVID-19.
“With demand at our ACT Government mass vaccination clinics already very high, and no Pfizer bookings available for the general public until October, many younger Canberrans may still choose to talk to their trusted health professional about AstraZeneca.
“But soon they will at least have the opportunity to get some certainty by locking in a Pfizer vaccination appointment if that is their choice.”
To register online for MyDHR, you will need a Medicare card and an existing patient record at an ACT public health facility, like a public hospital or a nurse-led walk-in centre.
While registering online will be the fastest and easiest way to register, you can also call the booking line on 02 5124 7700 (7am to 7pm) for assistance registering if you do not have a Medicare card.
For information on how to register visit covid19.act.gov.au/vaccine.
