Three Victorian mass vaccination hubs are opening up to people over the age of 70.
From Wednesday, the Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre as well as Geelong’s former Ford factory will be providing COVID-19 vaccination shots for anyone over 70 with or without booking as part of phase 1A and 1B of the rollout.
“This is one way that we can expedite the vaccine rollout, as quickly as possible, particularly to our most vulnerable cohort,” Acting Premier James Merlino told reporters on Tuesday.
Despite concerns about the potential side effects, Merlino has said there’s been an uptick in calls to the health department from older Victorians.
“I see that as a positive sign,” he said.
“We did take a hit to public confidence in our vaccination program. But we are seeing, particularly in older Victorians, them coming forward, and being very keen.”
Professor Sutton will receive his first vaccination on Wednesday at the Royal Exhibition Building and he praised the hard work of authorities delivering the AstraZeneca vaccine to the highest safety standards.
“The risk of really serious adverse events is rare, which is why I’m getting my vaccination. The best vaccine to get is the one available right now,” he tweeted.
This article originally appeared on Over60.