By Luke Voogt
The vaccination of Geelong health workers and aged care residents will begin next week with a vaccine hub to open at University Hospital Geelong.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt this afternoon announced that hubs administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine would open at Geelong’s public hospital, along with three other hospitals in Melbourne.
The hubs will be part of phase 1A of the Commonwealth’s rollout of the vaccine beginning next Monday, Mr Hunt announced.
Under phase 1A, aged care and disability care staff and health workers most at risk of contracting COVID-19, such as intensive care and emergency department staff, will receive the jab.
Aged care and disabled residents at public facilities and homes in Drysdale, Lara, Ocean Grove, Point Lonsdale and Portarlington will also begin receiving the jab, along with quarantine and border workers.
Earlier this week Barwon Health issued paperwork to staff to sign their consent to be vaccinated in preparation for the rollout.
In a recent online statement Barwon Health said its immunisation program would commence as soon as it received supplies of the Pfizer vaccine.
“Barwon Health will also provide support and co-ordination to the entire Barwon South West region, including the private healthcare systems.”
The first 142,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived in Australia earlier this week.
In later phases of the Commonwealth rollout, aimed at inoculating the rest of Australia, many will instead receive the less effective but easier-to-store Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, which the Therapeutic Goods Administration recently approved.
Barwon Health stated that the overall vaccination program would depend on GPs and pharmacists, once the AstraZeneca vaccine becomes available.
“The program will take at least six months to achieve the overall levels of immunisation the government is targeting,” the health provider said.
“Thanks to the excellent public health response that has controlled the spread locally, we can afford to take the time to do this in a safe and controlled way.”
The Independent understands that the Barwon Health is still finalising the logistics and details of how it will distribute the vaccine during phase 1A.
