18/10/2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Van heading to Mallee
ACCO COVID-19 vaccine van in Red Cliffs and Merbein
The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) and Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS) is excited to announce that a dedicated Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO) COVID-19 Vaccine Van will have its first residency in Red Cliffs and Merbein this week.
The van will be staffed by health professionals from, Star Health and VACCHO, and will be welcoming walk-ins with no booking required.
Commencing on Tuesday 19 October, the Vaccine Van will be stationed at 10 Jamieson Avenue, Red Cliffs for two days and will be open between the hours of 9am and 5pm.
On Thursday 21 October, the Vaccine Van will be stationed at 11 Main Avenue Merbein, where it will assist with vaccinations for two days between 9am and 5pm.
With record-high COVID-19 case numbers across Victoria this week – including an outbreak in Mildura MDAS CEO Jacki Turfrey said the dedicated van will play an important role in improving vaccination rates of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in the Mallee district.
The ACCO Vaccine Van will play a crucial role in helping make the COVID-19 vaccine available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members in the region who have had difficulties accessing the vaccine.
Mallee District Aboriginal Services (MDAS) CEO Jacki Turfrey is looking forward to seeing the vaccine van arriving in Red Cliffs and Merbein.
“I am so incredibly proud of the brilliant work our team at MDAS has been doing. We believe the van will provide some important additional support.”
“The vaccination vans aim to remove barriers to accessing COVID-19 vaccinations, such as geographical distance and access to transport, so that all members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community can get vaccine access to protect them against COVID-19.”
VACCHO CEO Jill Gallagher said the van will help assist our Member organisations in their work to protect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community across Victoria against COVID-19.
“Building on the hard work of the Mallee District Aboriginal Services – the vans will boost support of COVID-19 vaccine delivery to community members during regional residencies across Victoria over the coming weeks.”
“VACCHO and our Member organisations understand that getting access to the vaccine has also been a hurdle for some members of our community – and we believe the rollout of dedicated vaccine vans will play an important part in taking the vaccine to community members who have struggled to gain access.”
Information on regional vaccine van visits schedule across Victoria will become available on the VACCHO website and Facebook page.
Special thanks to Star Health and the Victorian Department of Health for their support in helping make the vaccination van concept a reality.
Pictured: The VACCHO vans hit the road to the Mallee last week