Sheed calls on minister for vaccine rollout assistance for Goulburn Valley Health

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has called on the Minister for Health Martin Foley to assist Goulburn Valley Health with the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

Goulburn Valley Health is providing vaccinations to the community at the McIntosh Centre from 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday.

In a letter to Mr Foley, Ms Sheed asked the State Government to provide Goulburn Valley Health with the necessary resources to help the service offer a seven-day-a week vaccination service, just like Bendigo, Geelong and many metropolitan locations.

Ms Sheed described the current opening hours for the availability of vaccinations through the health service as “entirely insufficient”.

“Goulburn Valley Health urgently needs more supply and resources for our eligible community members to receive their vaccinations,” she said.

“Vaccinations should be offered throughout weekends, as they were briefly when the Pfizer vaccination became available to 40-49-year-olds.

“Some Shepparton workers simply cannot take almost two hours out of their working day to get vaccinated.

“We need to make the vaccinations easily accessible to everyone in our community if we are to offer them the protection they deserve against Covid-19.

“While some GPs in our area provide Covid-19 vaccination services, I am hearing reports that their capacity to do so is limited as they deal with their usual patient load.

“Shepparton workers need a bigger window of time in the week to get their vaccinations.

“If the government wants to drive up vaccination rates, it needs to make vaccinations more accessible.”

Media contact:

Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466 │elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

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