Key points  

• Over the course of the next 5 weeks, Victoria will be increasing the number of appointments available to encourage more Victorians to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Read the media release about the 1 million appointments.  
• From today, people with a specified medical condition or people with a significant disability can access reserved first dose Pfizer appointments.  
• State vaccination centres are to ensure that printed copies or site signed eligibility declaration forms are available and accepted as evidence. Individuals that attest to being eligible (i.e. due to medical conditions) can sign an eligibility declaration form.  
• Select state vaccination centres are providing vaccines to people affiliated with a COVID-19 outbreak in schools. The schools impacted by the outbreak have been provided with an eligibility letter that they can provide at the vaccination site. 
• The first drive through vaccination centre in Australia has been established in Melton. Hosted at a former Bunnings Warehouse site this new service will support more people to access COVID-19 vaccines. Read the media release about the drive-through vaccination centre.  
• People who are breastfeeding can receive either Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.  
  • People who are currently eligible can receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.  
  • People aged 18-39 who are otherwise not eligible can choose to receive the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.  
  • People who are breastfeeding are not eligible to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on this basis.  
• The Australian Government is sending notifications to people who registered their interest in getting vaccinated to prompt them to book an appointment. Notifications may be sent to people who have already booked or received their COVID-19 vaccine doses.  

Eligibility guidance 

Reserved first dose appointments 

• People with a specified medical condition or people with a significant disability   
• To book a reserved appointment the eligible person must call the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398. 
• Eligibility declaration forms are available for use at point of vaccination. Health services are encouraged to use these forms rather than turn away individuals at point of vaccination.  

• Eligibility guidance for state vaccine centres 
• Evidence for eligibility 

Use of a different COVID-19 vaccine as the second dose in special circumstances  

ATAGI recommends using the same COVID-19 vaccine for the two doses of the primary vaccination course, unless there are specific medical contraindications or precautions, or the same vaccine brand is not available in Australia.  

• The medical contraindications and serious vaccine-attributable adverse events after dose 1 of a COVID-19 vaccine that warrant using an alternative vaccine brand for dose 2  
• The medical conditions that mean that Pfizer is recommended over COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca  
• The recommendations for completing the primary vaccination course for people who have received dose 1 with a vaccine that is not available in Australia  

Notifications to eligible people  

The Australian Government will this week send out notifications reminding people that they are eligible. Notifications will be sent to those who registered their interest in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Relevant people who have already received a COVID-19 vaccine will receive a notification.  
Health services and vaccine providers should be aware that they might receive enquires from people who have received a notification.  
The notifications advise/remind this group they are eligible and direct them to the Eligibility Checker to find a clinic near them. There is no promise of an appointment being available.  

Victorian Government

• Victorian COVID-19 Vaccination Guidelines 
• Eligibility guidance for state vaccine centres 
• Evidence for eligibility 

Australian Government

• The Moderna Australia COVID-19 vaccine called Spikevax (elasomeran) has been provisionally approved by the TGA for people 18 and over.  
• It is recommended that the vaccine is given in two doses that are administered 28 days apart. 
• Data to support the use of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years are currently under evaluation and no specific concerns have been identified to date. It is expected that the TGA’s decision on use in this age group will be announced in 3-4 weeks' time. 
• Read the TGA announcement 
• Clinical guidance 

• ATAGI statement on considerations for establishing drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic sites 
• Vaccine Operations Centre – Weekly Operational Update – 2 August 2021

Contact us 

For previous updates, please click the button to view the last Department of Health newsletter distributed on 6 August 2021.

• Australian Government: health.gov.au/covid-19-vaccines
• Victorian Government: coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccines
• Subscribe to Chief Health Officer Alerts: health.vic.gov.au/newsletters
• Follow the Chief Health Officer on Twitter: @VictorianCHO
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