Drive-through hub welcomed in bid to improve Hume City vaccine access
Published on 19 August 2021
The establishment of a major drive through vaccination centre at the former Ford site in Campbellfield will provide a major boost in the fight against the coronavirus in Melbourne’s north.
Hume Mayor Councillor, Joseph Haweil, and Federal Member for Calwell, Maria Vamvakinou, commended the Victorian Government for rolling out the new site from Monday, 23 August.
“This is a significant step forward to improve vaccination rates in Hume,” Cr Haweil said.
“Our residents can now receive the vaccine close to home and help protect themselves and their community from COVID-19.
“We have been advocating to the Victorian Government to undertake a more targeted and accessible vaccine roll out approach and are delighted that a major vaccination site will be located at the former Ford site in Broadmeadows.”
From Monday, eligible people can book in to receive the vaccine through the drive-through service, with walk-in sessions being introduced at a later date.
“Services in the northern suburbs were less than optimal – and while further improvements can be made, I’m glad to see that the Victorian Government has responded to my request for a more suitable, accessible vaccine hub in Hume,” Ms Vamvakinou said.
“Allowing eligible families to drive up and all receive their first dose in one visit will make it much easier for them to get vaccinated – and the more we can respond to our community’s needs, the more successful this roll out will be.”
In thanking the Victorian Government for the establishment of the vaccination hub, Ms Vamvakinou and Council acknowledged that more needed to be done to support the vaccine roll out in the northern suburbs.
“GPs play an important role in providing trusted vaccine information to their patients but there are currently less than 10 GPs in Hume that can administer both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccine.”
Ms Vamvakinou added that culturally appropriate services and communications are needed to ensure reliable and accurate information is reaching different community groups.
“We know that in an environment where misinformation can run rife, something as simple as providing culturally appropriate information in different languages can help cut through,” Ms Vamvakinou said.