By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Moderna walk-in vaccination blitz will be staged in the South East during the weekend in response to soaring Covid case numbers.
Monash Health’s south east public health unit will offer Moderna for people aged 12-59 years and AstraZeneca for people 60-plus as part of the 1 October blitz.
No bookings are required for the free vaccinations.
The Moderna walk-in blitz will be staged at Palm Plaza Dandenong 9am-4pm every day, Sandown Racecourse 9am-4pm Friday 1 October-3 October, St Francis Xavier College, Officer 9am-4pm Saturday 2 October-Sunday 3 October and Frankston Community Vaccination Hub 11.30am-6pm Friday 1 October and 9:30am–4pm on Saturday 2 October–Sunday 3 October.
Meanwhile, active cases have risen across South East council areas such as Casey (366), Greater Dandenong (170) and Cardinia (155).
Postcode hotspots include Cranbourne (123), Pakenham (102), Dandenong (95) and Narre Warren (63).
The health unit also moved to reassure people hesitant to take up the “safe” and “highly effective” Moderna vaccine – which like Pfizer, is an mRNA vaccine.
Vaccination numbers noticeably dwindled at a pop-up clinic in Palm Plaza after the State Government announced swapping-out Pfizer vaccines for Moderna from 28 September.
Greater Dandenong vaccination rates had surged in recent weeks but still lagged behind the metro Melbourne average.
As of 27 September, 72 per cent of Greater Dandenong residents 16-and-over had a single Covid vaccine dose and 36 per cent were fully vaxxed.
Monash Health chief executive Andrew Stripp said there was “no time to hesitate”.
“Covid-19 cases are increasing across Melbourne’s South East.
“Get vaccinated now to protect yourself, your family and the community.”
Mr Stripp said Moderna was “safe and highly effective in protecting people against Covid-19”.
“The sooner we get vaccinated, the sooner we return to the life we all know and cherish.”
In a statement, Monash Health stated Moderna offered “high protection” to new Covid-19 variants, including Delta.
“The Moderna vaccine is safe in pregnancy and in children from 12 years of age.
“The Moderna vaccine has been successfully rolled out in many countries across the world including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, and Singapore.”
Bookings are also available at the Sandown Racecourse Vaccination Centre, Cranbourne Racecourse and the Frankston Community Vaccination Hub via the online booking system or calling 1800 675 398.
