More than 60% of people who visited a Melbourne vaccination centre targeting those facing disadvantage did not have a Medicare card, while about 5% were probably homeless, figures show.
Data on approximately 9,100 people vaccinated at Melbourne town hall since 1 September was released by chief executive of Cohealth, Nicole Bartholomeusz, on Monday. The hub was specifically opened for some of the city’s most disadvantaged residents.
Of those who used the hub, 51% were aged in their 20s or 30s, reflecting the high numbers of international students, Bartholomeusz said. Overall, 61% of people did not have a Medicare Card.
About 5% were born in Australia, but did not have Medicare cards, and were likely homeless or experiencing severe disadvantage. The top five countries by birth were China, Australia, Colombia, India and Vietnam. The top three preferred languages other than English were Mandarin, Cantonese and Spanish, with 33% of those vaccinated at the hub having a preferred language other than English.
“There has been an overwhelming uptake from culturally and linguistically diverse communities to access the vaccine which shows that providing a culturally safe offering combined with our community engagement approach works,” Bartholomeusz said.
She said now that the vaccination centre had hit the target of reaching vulnerable community members in the city, it is offering vaccination more widely.
“The vaccination centre has hit the target in reaching vulnerable community members in the CBD, and we’re excited to be opening the doors even wider as the city opens back up,” she said.
From Tuesday the vaccination centre will be open to anyone who lives in, works in or visits the city, with extended hours to catch people after work. It will be open from Monday to Friday between 10am and 6pm with walk-ins and appointments available.
“As workers return to the city and the shops get busier in the lead-up to Christmas, we hope to offer a convenient and welcoming health space for people who want to drop in and get their first or second jab,” Bartholomeusz said.
Melbourne lord mayor, Sally Capp, said she hoped expanding the reach of the vaccination centre would help Melbourne reopen safely, and sooner.
“We want to bring the buzz back to Melbourne and support our city business owners, and the best way we can do that is by hitting Victoria’s vaccination targets,” Capp said.
As of Monday, 92.6% of Victorians aged 12 and over have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 84.1% have had two doses. Once 90% of Victorians aged 12 and over are fully vaccinated, all gathering limits, capacity and density limits in the state will no longer apply.
