Thousands of appointments for the COVID-19 Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines have been set aside for priority health care workers and aged care and disability workers yet to be vaccinated, the Victorian Government has announced.
More than 15,000 extra open appointments have been are set aside for prioritised workers, while thousands of AstraZeneca appointments are also now open – with walk up appointments also available – for people aged 60 and over.
“This is the opportunity for everyone who hasn’t been able to secure an appointment so far while supplies have been limited: get vaccinated, get protected, and help us all get back to normal,” said Minister for Health, Martin Foley.
“We can look at the evidence from overseas to see the power of this vaccine in action – but we can also look close to home. None of the people hospitalised for COVID-19 during the recent outbreak in Victoria were fully vaccinated.”
“We’re so proud of our close partnership with GPs in Victoria, and if you have any questions whatsoever about the vaccine and your health, there’s no better place to turn than your trusted local GP.”
He said recent analysis had shown that none of the locally-acquired COVID-19 cases hospitalised during the July outbreak were fully vaccinated, “which further highlights the importance of getting your vaccine as soon as you’re eligible”.
Currently, there is an average of 14,000 Pfizer appointments available every week from August 9 through to September 5, and Victorians can book online or by phone. More than 200,000 Pfizer bookings have already been made for this period, and more than 15,000 extra open appointments are set aside for prioritised workers.
The new Pfizer appointments have been added to the system following Victoria’s decision to revise the recommended Pfizer second dose interval to six weeks.
This has freed up supply available for first dose appointments now, because the demand for subsequent second dose appointments can be met with September’s projected increase in supply, the Health Minister said.
Victorians currently eligible for the vaccine under the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccination program include everyone aged 40 and over, and large numbers of people under 40 such as health care workers and people with specified underlying medical conditions.
