The Victorian government has reintroduced priority access for residential disability workers to receive a vaccine of their choice at state vaccination centres.

NDS has been lobbying for such a blitz with the Victorian government and we are now advocating for the current initiative to cover all disability workers, including those who work in non-residential settings.

Running from Monday 23 August to Sunday 29 August, residential disability workers will have priority access at all state vaccination centres. This includes any workers attending residential services infrequently such as management, therapists/practitioners, advocates, and maintenance workers.

During the blitz all residential disability workers are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine, regardless of their age. People who have already received a first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine should receive a second dose of AstraZeneca.

While many state vaccination centres are available for walk-ins for residential disability workers, bookings are preferred. Workers can call 1800 675 398 and tell the operator they are a residential disability worker, to ensure priority access during the blitz.

What you need to bring

Workers will need to take bring the following items with them to the vaccination centre:

• Employment ID
• Latest Victorian Government eligibility letter
• Medicare card if they have one
• Identity document, such as passport or driver’s licence

All sites have a minimum standard of accessibility, with nine sites across the state being developed with enhanced accessibility.

Group bookings for disability workers and participants

Disability providers can request group bookings for staff or people with disability to receive COVID-19 vaccinations at state run vaccination clinics.

Providers can lodge a Registration of Interest for their residential disability support workers and residents.

Information required for a group booking registration of interest includes:

• Eligibility of the group of people to receive a COVID-19 vaccine (for example people with medical conditions or disabilities)
• Postcode where the group is located to match your request with the local vaccination service
• Approximate number of people to be vaccinated
• Any access or language support needs on the day of vaccination

Group booking requests will be prioritised according to risk criteria.

See the Victorian Government Group Bookings information sheet [PDF | Word]