Vaccination push in region’s west

Regional health services are in the process of completing a week-long COVID-19 vaccination surge in Nhill.

The aim of the surge, involving a joint effort between health services, is to vaccinate as many Nhill and west Wimmera residents aged 12 to 59 as possible this week.

Nhill Community Centre has become a mass vaccination centre as part of the vaccination push.

Grampians Sub-hub COVID vaccine rollout co-ordinator Genevieve Lilley encouraged people to make the most of the opportunity and make vaccination bookings.

“To make a booking for the Nhill centre, people can call Goroke Community Health Centre on 5363 2201,” she said.

“The Goroke centre is helping with the bookings by making the appointments for each of these sessions.”

Ms Lilley said there would be similar sessions next week in Kaniva, on September 23, and Goroke on September 24.

“This is a catch-up opportunity for all those under 60 to get vaccinated and we encourage all over 60s to continue to, as a matter of urgency, attend their GP, as this is the best way for them to access vaccines,” she said. “This is a fantastic collaboration between West Wimmera Health Service, Wimmera Health Care Group, Grampians Public Health Unit and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.”

Earlier this month, tightening border restrictions between South Australia and Victoria fuelled calls to speed-up establishing COVID-19 testing and vaccination facilities at Nhill.

Plans were underway to re-establish a testing station for interstate truck-drivers as Member for Lowan Emma Kealy made the call.

Ms Kealy has been among community leaders lobbying for more vaccination opportunities in the west Wimmera to help ease pressure on Victorian-south Australian border communities.

She said at the start of the month: “Many locals have reported the earliest they can get an appointment to be vaccinated is October, meaning those unable to be vaccinated could face being cut off from their jobs, school and essential services such as supermarkets, their GP and petrol stations.”

Constantly changing cross-border health-exemption travelling rules has also created significant concern in the Wimmera’s west where some people need to cross the border for family-health reasons.