Link your government accounts ahead of vaccine rollout

The federal government is encouraging all people in regional Victoria to get ready for their COVID-19 vaccination by linking their digital government services, particularly their myGov and Medicare accounts.

The call to link digital services follows the announcement that the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) will be the record for all vaccinations for Australians and that record will form the basis of the vaccination certificate that all Australians will be able to use, including visa holders.

The AIR has undergone significant upgrades in preparation for the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

The register already allows you to see your recorded immunisations through myGov or the Medicare Express Plus app through an ‘immunisation history statement’. Your immunisation history statement will record your COVID-19 vaccinations.

Minister for Government Services Stuart Robert encouraged all Australians to link their myGov and Medicare online services today to ensure they can access proof they have had a COVID-19 vaccination, quickly and easily.

“The Morrison Government is getting on with the vaccine rollout so we’re asking Australians to be vaccination-ready and link their digital services today,” he said.

“Services Australia has been putting in the work to ensure government services are simple, respectful, transparent and helpful – so we have supercharged myGov and we have state-of-the art cybersecurity in place to protect the AIR.”

Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson said linking the two digital accounts was a simple step that could be taken now.

“This is something you can do right now to get your family vaccination-ready, it will be really helpful once you’ve had the vaccine and will mean you can easily access your vaccine certificate through the AIR at the touch of a button.”

Data from Services Australia indicates there are 19.7 million active myGov Accounts with 9.9 million linked to Medicare.

On Friday last week, Senator Henderson visited Barwon Health’s Myers Street vaccination centre, which is vaccinating frontline health workers, port workers and public aged care residents and workers as a priority.

Barwon Health will announce details of its large-scale community vaccination program in the coming weeks.

“Barwon Health has been at forefront of the vaccination strategy in the Geelong region and has so far vaccinated 1,925 people in phase 1a of the vaccine rollout,” Senator Henderson said.