The Department of Health is continuing its efforts to protect homeless and other vulnerable Victorians from contracting COVID-19 by launching pop-up vaccination clinics with the community health organization, CoHealth.
Minister for Health, Martin Foley said the pop-up clinics would begin at services operated by CoHealth in Melbourne’s CBD, Collingwood and Footscray.
“Dozens more pop-up sites will be established in the weeks ahead across Melbourne’s inner north, inner west and CBD, at locations frequented by people experiencing homelessness and disadvantage,” Mr Foley said.
“Each vaccination team will include two community health nurses, a social worker and a worker who has experienced homelessness, with clinics having the capacity to vaccinate 40 people per day,” he said.
Mr Foley said the mobile vaccination clinics were being rolled out as part of the C-19 network of five community health organisations, including IPC Health; CoHealth; DPV Health; EACH; and StarHealth.
The Minister said the Department had commissioned the network to provide vaccines to people facing disadvantage, including those in public housing; in temporary accommodation; and those experiencing homelessness.
He said more than 3,500 weekly vaccine doses were allocated to the outreach network and local public health units were also prioritising additional doses for the vulnerable high-risk cohorts.
“Meanwhile, Pfizer eligibility has been expanded at State-commissioned vaccination centres,” he said.
Mr Foley said those now eligible to receive first doses of Pfizer, regardless of age, included all healthcare workers; all hotel quarantine workers; all international border workers; household contacts (aged 16 years and over) of hotel quarantine and international border workers; and residential aged and disability care workers and residents.
Information on vaccination centres, including wait times at clinics, can be accessed on the State’s COVID-19 information website at this PS News link.
