By Laura Michell
Pop-up vaccination clinics will be set up at three Hume schools to help deliver more COVID vaccine doses for children aged between five and 11.
The state government will open 30 pop-up school clinics in the coming weeks.
The pop-ups will be open to all children aged five to 11, not just those attending the school hosting the clinic.
Clinics will be opened at Roxburgh Homestead Primary School, Craigieburn Primary School and Hume Valley School.
The government has also announced a $4 million program encouraging GPs and community pharmacists to establish additional mini-vaccination clinics at schools in areas that need more uptake, due to identified access challenges or increased risk of transmission.
As part of the new Primary Care Vaccinations in Schools program, grants will help local and trusted health professionals deliver vaccinations to students in the familiarity and comfort of their own school environment, outside of school hours.
Applicants will nominate the local government areas and number of schools and students they can help vaccinate – then successful applicants will be matched with schools in priority areas.
Successful applicants can receive up to $6500 to cover staffing, travel and equipment costs and more. An additional $5000 clinic establishment fee per school is also available.
Premier Daniel Andrews said vaccination was the best thing Victorians can do to keep their children and family safe.
“With 30 vaccination centres at schools, more than 35 vaccination centres in the community, plus grants for GPs and pharmacies to deliver more vaccines – we are doing all we can to get jabs into arms young and old,” he said.
