By Mikayla van Loon
Lilydale Primary School will host a pop up vaccination clinic for children aged five to 11 as part of an effort to get everyone vaccinated.
The clinic is one of 30 pop ups across 18 local government areas and will be open to all, not just those who attend the school, in the coming weeks.
It comes as part of a push to get children vaccinated after they became eligible on Monday 10 January to receive a reduced dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The clinic is the only announced pop-up clinic in the Yarra Valley and is the closest for many people throughout the Dandenong Ranges.
The Victorian Government also announced funding and grants packages to enable pharmacists and GPs to establish additional mini-vaccination clinics at schools in areas that need more uptake.
Four million dollars will be made available in the Primary Care Vaccinations in Schools program where applicants will nominate the local government areas and number of schools and students they can help vaccinate. Successful applicants will be matched with schools in priority areas and will receive grants of up to $6500 to cover staffing, travel and equipment costs.
An additional $5,000 clinic establishment fee per school is also available, plus additional loadings for specialist schools or small, rural or regional schools.
“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,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
“Vaccination is the best thing you do to keep your children and family safe – get the kids vaccinated and your third dose at the same time.”
While these pop ups get set up, Premier Andrews encouraged parents to book in their children at a state-run centre or with a local GP.
Currently the closest vaccination centre for those in the Dandenong Ranges is in Ringwood.
