MBV wishes to advise our members that the Victorian Government has made further updates to the COVID-19 vaccine eligibility and protocols.

People in Victoria over the age of 18 are now eligible to get their third COVID-19 vaccine dose after THREE MONTHS.

This update takes effect immediately ahead of a walk-up vaccination blitz starting this Friday, 21 January 2022. The reduced timeframe allows 1.2 million more Victorians to increase their immunity. 

To support an expected rise in demand this weekend, more workers, cubicles, walk-up capacity and 60,000 more appointments will be available at key vaccination centres. 

The opening hours at Sandown, Bendigo and La Trobe University have all been extended specifically for the blitz, which will run from this Friday to next Monday. 

Walk-up vaccinations will be available at a number of state-run centres, including: 

  • Royal Exhibition Building (walk-up access available 8:00am to 8:00pm daily during the blitz
  • Latrobe University Bundoora (walk-up 8:00am to 8:00pm)
  • Sandown Racecourse (walk-up 9:00am to 6:30pm Saturday and Sunday
  • Dandenong Plaza (walk-up 9:00am to 5:00pm Saturday and Sunday)
  • Frankston’s Bayside Centre (walk-up 9:30am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday
  • Sunshine Hospital (walk-up 8:00am to 8:00pm
  • Bendigo Vaccination Hub (walk-up 9:00am to 8:00pm)
  • Ballarat Mercure (walk-up 8:30am to 3:00pm Sunday)

The rest of Victoria’s state-run network will also be operating. All sites except Dandenong Plaza and Ballarat Mercure will also offer both Pfizer and Moderna doses. 

For more information on locations and hours, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-centres.  

Bookings can also be made online at portal.cvms.vic.gov.au or by calling 1800 675 398. 

Those who want to get their third dose at a local GPs or pharmacy can also book through the online clinic finder at covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking/

MBV encourages our members and their employees to receive a third COVID-19 vaccine dose as soon as they are eligible (unless a medical exemption applies), to help continue keeping Victorians safe and our industry moving.

As always, if you are feeling unwell and have flu-like symptoms, please take/undergo a COVID test as soon as possible.

Pandemic Code Brown Implemented Across Public Melbourne and Main Regional Hospitals

The above third dose eligibility update has come at a critical time for Victoria with the Code Brown Pandemic being implemented from midday today, Wednesday 19 January 2022 - across all public metropolitan Melbourne and main regional hospitals (Barwon Health, Grampians Health, Bendigo Health, Goulburn Valley Health, Albury Wodonga Health and Latrobe Regional Hospital). 

This measure has been introduced as a formal emergency management structure to help make the best use of critical hospital resources, as Victoria battles the Omicron outbreak. 

The health system in Victoria is facing significant workforce shortages due to a number of factors including: staff in isolation, a vast number of COVID-19 patients requiring hospitalisation, and ongoing treatment for patients with urgent and emergency needs.  

The changes allow health services to configure services to free up more staff, including the delivery of outpatient services outside the hospital, and the rapid offload of ambulance patients at emergency departments to get paramedics back on the road as soon as possible. 

Hospitals are also able to redeploy staff to work in areas of highest clinical priority. 

There has also been an expansion in COVID-19 streaming sites by increasing the number of hospitals caring for Coronavirus patients to ease the pressure at hospitals currently handling the highest number of patients. 

The Pandemic Code Brown is expected to last four to six weeks and health officials will monitor the situation to determine when it’s safe to begin winding down arrangements. 

For more information, go to https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/

 

MBV will continue to monitor the situation and bring our members the latest updates as they develop.

As always, members requiring assistance are encouraged to call our MBV Assist team on (03) 9411 4555.