Dear colleagues,
I hope you had an enjoyable weekend and that you’re looking forward to some warmer weather later in the week. Please read on below for this week’s vaccination hub update.
Vaccination momentum builds
As you know, the Victorian Government announced last week that people aged 16-39 were eligible for COVID-19 vaccination, resulting in 440,000 Victorians rushing to book their vaccine and vaccination centres delivering record numbers of doses. With larger supplies of the vaccine being made available nationally, it’s exciting to see momentum build as more people get vaccinated, protecting themselves and their communities. Western Health has administered more than 566,000 vaccines to date and we are currently administering more than 8000 vaccines per day. Our centres are busy and we are aware that there have been waits on the online booking system and the hotline. I ask you to encourage your families and friends to persist and try again if they have yet to get an appointment, and ensure that they book in to get the #jabdone as soon as possible. Bookings can be made via the 1800 675 398 hotline or online booking system. As always, thank you to our vaccination hub staff for their agility and dedication.
New drive-through vaccination service at Eagle Stadium, Werribee
Western Health launched its newest drive-through vaccination service last Thursday at Eagle Stadium, Werribee, supporting the sit-down clinic that opened a few days earlier. The drive-through service attracted a lot of media attention, with coverage on evening news bulletins. Visit our COVID-19 Vaccination Hub website for a full list of Western Health-run vaccination hubs.
Vaccine boosters
There is increasing discussions in the media and amongst healthcare professionals about the evidence coming out that COVID vaccination boosters may be needed. The latest recommendations from Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) states that additional or booster doses beyond the two-dose course are not currently recommended. Data on the real-world effectiveness and duration of protection from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines is emerging, including against current and emerging strains (variants) of COVID-19 and will inform future recommendations regarding the need for and timing of booster doses.
In the same way that the influenza vaccines are modified to protect against newly circulating strains each season, COVID-19 vaccines may in future be adapted to protect against SARS-CoV-2 variant strains.
At the moment the priority is to ensure that the maximum number of Australians get their initial vaccination, and whilst the ATAGI recommendations state that boosters are not recommended, it is not yet possible to administer COVID vaccine boosters.
Reminder – continue to check exposure sites and get tested if you have symptoms
There are several new exposure sites across north-west Melbourne, and these are continuing to rapidly evolve so please continue to check exposure sites. If you have symptoms – however mild – please get tested.
Many thanks and have a great week.
Shane Crowe
Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery