Mobile COVID-19 vax vans

MELBOURNE: Victoria is preparing to roll out mobile vaccination vans to boost jab numbers in Indigenous communities, religious groups and parts of the state with lagging rates.

Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the idea was raised in a weekly vaccination meeting and could involve currently unused dental vans.

The mobile vans would be taken to ‘‘trusted environments’’ and target parts of the state with lower vaccination rates.

He said planning work was under way to match up the staff to the vans and would build on the model for pop-up testing and vaccination clinics, such as the site recently established to manage the Al-Taqwa College outbreak.

In Victoria, 45,280 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and 27,926 were fully vaccinated to Monday.

North-west (47.8 per cent) and south-east Melbourne (49.7 per cent) are the only two regions in the state with less than 50 per cent first dose coverage — with the statewide figure at 55.73 per cent.