A new vaccine hub in Caroline Springs is expected to help boost low vaccination rates of Brimbank and Melton residents.
IPC Health opened a pop up centre last week at the Caroline Springs Leisure Centre, with the centre to be open six days a week.
IPC Health’s chief executive Jayne Nelson said the centre would provide more opportunities for people to be vaccinated.
“Our pop-up vaccination services are smaller and provide an alternative to mainstream health vaccination services,“ she said.
“The latest figures show a rise in vaccination rates in Brimbank and Melton, so we know our efforts have been contributing to these improved statistics.
“IPC Health remains very committed to supporting the community and improving vaccine delivery in Melbourne’s west.”
Ms Nelson said the centre, which is booking only, would be running until at least the end of December.
IPC Health is aiming to deliver over 2500 jabs per week of a combination of Pfizer and AstraZeneca, depending on supply.
The hub will look to help specific cultural groups including Pasifika, Vietnamese, Burmese, Chin, Afghan and Sudanese communities get vaccinated too.
It comes as residents in Melbourne’s north and west will benefit from additional vaccines from the federal government and a rapid expansion of vaccination sites across the region as part of a three-week vaccination blitz.
Meanwhile, Brimbank council will write to the federal government to fast-track its distribution of Pfizer and Moderna doses to Melbourne’s west.
Tara Murray
