Moderna to help vax race

CHAIR of Bendigo Health Bob Cameron said he is pleased to see Moderna vaccines being delivered in chemists, as the health service continues its push to vaccinate over ninety per cent of the over-sixteen population.

“Bendigo is still leading the state when it comes to double jabs on 57.9 per cent, Geelong is just behind us,” he said.

On single dose vaccination, Mr Cameron said Bendigo has been overtaken by Geelong, Warrnambool and Shepparton.

People aged 12 to 15 years old are not included in that data, however, and Mr Cameron said chemists will play a big role in vaccinating the younger population.

“They’re now started to be vaccinated, we want as many of them to be vaccinated, and the fact that the chemists now have Moderna, that’s really going to help on that front,” he said.

It is not yet known whether Bendigo Health will receive any supply of the Moderna vaccine.

Mr Cameron is confident the Mollison Street vaccination centre will have the supply to reach 90 per cent single dose vaccination in the region, however he expects the rate of vaccinations to slow.

“We will have the supply we just want to make sure we continue to see people, we know they’re going to come in smaller numbers, that’s fine we just want them to keep coming,” he said.

He also said once enough first doses have been delivered, state clinics may reduce the wait time for the second dose of Pfizer from six weeks to the original three weeks.

“Once we have that supply increase again, we’ll then be able to pull it back, that’s what we all want to do, but that is dependent on making sure we’ve got the supply to make sure everybody in Victoria can get the first jab,” he said.