Tara Murray
Grants will be available to GPs and community pharmacies to help fasten up the vaccine rollout across the state.
The state government announced that 120 grants would be made available across 11 key local government areas in Melbourne to help ‘turbocharge’ the rollout.
Those areas include Brimbank, Hume, Whittlesea, Melton, Hobsons Bay and Wyndham.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the grants could help pharmacies access an area where they can vaccinate more people or allow GPs to employ staff for longer hours.
“What matters is not the name of the vaccine, or whether it’s stored in a fridge at a small clinic or a mass vaccination centre – what matters is getting it into people’s arms, and that’s what these grants are all about,” he said.
“Supply to our GPs and pharmacies is improving, and this is a great opportunity for the commonwealth to provide even more doses to local settings in areas with the most cases.”
Grants of $4,000 will be available to 120 providers, while up to 10 grants can be increased to $10,000 if providers can demonstrate further capacity to deliver.
Providers selected for a COVID-19 vaccination enhancement grant must demonstrate that they are able to maximise their dose administration in the weeks commencing October 4 and 11.
Almost 80 per cent of Victorians over the age of 16 have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Grant recipients will be announced next Monday.
Meanwhile there are Pfizer vaccine appointments currently available at Melton and Wyndham vaccine hubs.
