By Oliver Lees
The state government and Western Health have ramped up calls for the Melton community to come forward for their third COVID-19 jab, as new data confirms the vaccination rate in the area has fallen behind other parts of the state.
On March 11, the state government announced a pop-up vaccination hub at the Bunnings Warehouse in Melton, as one of 20 pop-up sites to address lagging vaccination rates in certain areas.
According to state government figures released on March 13, 57 per cent of Melton’s eligible population aged 16 and over have received their booster shot.
This figure puts Melton among the lowest triple vaccinated areas in the state, alongside Hume (50.9 per cent), Greater Dandenong (58.5 per cent) and neighbouring Brimbank (58.6 per cent).
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Mount Alexander (78.7 per cent), Yarra (75.5 per cent) and the Macedon Ranges (73.6 per cent) are leading the way in terms of vaccine uptake.
In Moorabool, currently 65.6 per cent of eligible residents have received three doses.
For the past two months, Western Health has been vaccinating children aged five to 11 at is Melton Vaccination Centre. Currently 56 per cent of eligible children in this bracket have been vaccinated, but a Western Health spokesperson confirmed that uptake has slowed over the past month.
Western Health nursing & midwifery executive director Shane Crowe said it was crucial that residents come forward to receive their vaccination as soon as they are eligible.
“It is highly recommended that everyone receives their third dose once they become eligible, as it has been demonstrated to strengthen the person’s immune response and increase the protection provided by the vaccine,” Mr Crowe said.
“We know that older people have a higher risk if they contract COVID-19, and in the western metropolitan region only 76 per cent of people aged over 70 year have received their third dose – compared to 85 per cent statewide.”
