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100,000 reasons to feel safer

4 June 2021

Healthcare professionals are saying thank you to the community following the news that more than 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have now been given in the north-east of Melbourne since the vaccination rollout began.

Dr Janine Trevillyan, clinical lead for the rollout of the vaccination program for the north-eastern Melbourne metropolitan region, said ongoing support from the community has been vital.

“Reaching 100,000 doses is a significant milestone for our vaccination teams across Austin Health, Eastern Health, Northern Health, St Vincent’s Health and the Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital,” Dr Trevillyan said.

“We’re continuing to see a fantastic response from the community looking to get themselves vaccinated with our vaccine clinics now busier than ever.

“The current lockdown is another stark reminder about the importance of vaccination in the fight against COVID-19 so we want people to keep coming forward and to keep getting vaccinated.

“Every jab makes someone safer against the risk of COVID-19 and gets us closer to living our lives in a ‘COVID normal’ scenario.

“We still have a long way to go but ticking off milestones on our vaccination journey is key way of celebrating the efforts of the community and our staff,” she said.

Dr Trevillyan said the 100,000 vaccinations include both the AstraZeneca and the Pfizer vaccines.

“As at the other vaccinations hubs, people between the age of 40 and 49 can access the Pfizer vaccine but we’ve continued to see really strong demand from those over the age of 50 wanting to be vaccinated with AstraZeneca,” she said.

“While there has been lots of talk about receiving one vaccine versus the other, the message that being vaccinated with either AstraZeneca or Pfizer makes it safer for you and those around you is definitely getting through.

“The risks and impact of COVID far outweigh the very small risk of a reaction to the vaccine so please, book your vaccine as soon as you can.

“Our clinics are busy but more places are being made available all the time so even if you aren’t able to book a spot straight away there will be a time for you to get in,” Dr Trevillyan said.

There are a number of ways to book a COVID vaccine: