24 February 2022

The saying tells us that the days drag on and the years fly by, but 12 months during a global pandemic is something else!

It’s just ticked over one year since the first patient received their COVID vaccination at Austin Health’s ONJ Centre clinic on 22 February 2021.

A/Prof Janine Trevillyan, Head of Austin Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program, said an amazing amount has been achieved during the last 12 months.

“Our Vaccination Clinics at the Repat, ONJ Centre and La Trobe have contributed to almost 1.5 million vaccine doses being administered across our North East cluster.

“The clinics at St Vincents Health, Eastern Health, Northern Health and Austin have given out 1,415,000 jabs since February last year making us the busiest hub across the state.

“And the vial which held the first dose given out has been placed in storage by Museums Australia as something of a momento to all the work that has taken place.

“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to have a great team working in the vaccination clinics, led by Sean Mace as Nurse Unit Manager.

“They have done an awesome job!” she said.

Chief Executive Officer, Adam Horsburgh, congratulated the Janine, Sean and the vaccination clinic staff for what they have been able to achieve since the vaccination clinic first opened.

“Standing up a workforce and taking on such a massive logistical exercise has been an enormous effort,” Adam said.

“The team should be very proud of what they’ve done and the work they continue to do.

“Vaccination is the key to us navigating through COVID and the staff in our clinics have played no small part in getting vaccination levels in Victoria to the point where life is beginning to feel normal again.

“Thank you to everyone for the work you are doing and congratulations on what is a special milestone,” he said.