Sarah Oliver
The state government is offering grants of up to $10,000 under the $5 million COVID Vaccination Primary Care Grants Program, including in Melton.
The grants program was introduced to help primary care providers increase the number of people they can vaccinate.
With more than one million Victorians now eligible for a third dose and child vaccinations starting from today, the grant expression of interest process has been extended to 5pm today.
This is to ensure GPs and pharmacies can continue vaccinating as many people as possible over January and February.
More than 210 general practitioners and pharmacists have already shared in $2.8 million of grants as part of the program, with 48 provided to regional Victoria.
The grants help providers maximise their vaccination service through extended hours, expanded capacity, support for people with specific needs and hiring extra staff such as immunisers and interpreters.
Open to GPs and pharmacies authorised to administer mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, the grants help primary care providers deliver vaccinations across 23 Local Government Areas where there is lower primary care coverage.
The local government areas include Ararat, Ballarat, Banyule, Casey, Darebin, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Horsham, Hume, Indigo, Knox, Mansfield, Melton, Mount Alexander Shire, Moyne, Nillumbik, Southern Grampians, Warrnambool, Whittlesea, Wodonga, Wyndham and Yarra.
While GPs and pharmacists are funded by the Commonwealth Government, the Victorian program ensures local primary care providers are able to vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as possible in high priority local government areas.
Health Minister Martin Foley said: “Doctors and pharmacists are part of the bedrock of our local communities – that’s why we’re making sure they have what they need to continue to vaccinate their communities keeping them safe.”
“We’re proudly working alongside GPs and pharmacies to help them vaccinate people close to their own home in their own community.”
