Parkville Precinct staff roll up sleeves for COVID-19 jab

The hub, coordinated and staffed by Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), opened its doors to frontline health care workers and aged care workers on 1 March 2021.

In just six weeks of the campaign launch, RMH immunisers vaccinated over 10,000 precinct staff from the RMH, the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Royal Women’s Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.

Majority of those jabs were administered in the arms of health care workers who work in departments like intensive care units, emergency departments, screening clinics, and COVID-19 and respiratory wards.

“I was really excited to get my vaccination, and now that it’s done I’m feeling surprisingly emotional,” says RMH emergency department director, Mark Putland. “I watched a couple of my staff get jabbed, and to know that they’re protected after the year we’ve had, it’s just incredible.”

The RMH has been operating two vaccination clinics out of the City Campus Library and Function Centre, administering Pfizer to staff under 50, and AstraZeneca to those over 50.

Now four months into the vaccination rollout, RMH COVID-19 vaccination project lead, Leah Blyth says the number of staff being vaccinated is positive.

“About 80 per cent of the workforce have received their first dose of the vaccine, and nearly 50 per cent are fully vaccinated with both doses,” Leah says. “Come June 2021, we’ll start to see the number of fully vaccinated staff increase as the over 50’s begin to get their second dose of AstraZeneca.

“There’s good supply of vaccine at the moment, so I encourage everyone eligible to roll up their sleeve while they can,” Leah adds.

The RMH vaccination hub expects to open its doors to the eligible public in coming days.

Those who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine can book their appointment by calling 1800 675 398. For more information on the COVID-19 vaccination, visit the Victorian Government COVID-19 site.