Vaccination blitz this weekend

State Health Minister Yvette D’Ath is calling on residential aged care and disability care workers, and anyone aged 40-49 years old to register today for a COVID-19 vaccine.

It’s ahead of a vaccination blitz this weekend during which she hopes 15,000 people will receive their first dose.

Queensland Health’s 18 vaccination hubs will be open across the state this weekend – all 18 on Saturday and 10 on Sunday.

The vaccination hubs will not be open to the general public and those attending need to have registered and made a booking for their vaccine.

“We hope this weekend will be a platform for us to go forward and build on our capacity to further open up the services for vaccinations,” she said.

“I want to remind everyone, other than our residential aged care and disability workers, if you are 50 and over you should still be going to your GP or a Commonwealth respiratory clinic to get your AstraZeneca vaccination.

“This is for 40 to 49-year-olds and these particular workers and any frontline workers who haven’t already vaccinated because they may have been on leave or for other reasons are also welcome to register and get vaccinated as well.

“I’m really excited about this weekend.”

How to register

It’s really easy. Just head to the website and fill in a simple online form. You will then receive an email from Queensland Health containing a link to the booking platform.

It is then just a matter of entering in your location and selecting the vaccination hub closest to you to view available bookings. You then select the one that suits you.

You will then receive a confirmation email with QR code and instructions.

Only those who have registered and booked will be vaccinated. Do not just turn up to a vaccination hub.

Bolstering our defences

Mrs D’Ath made the vaccination hub announcement while opening a $3.2 million upgrade to Redcliffe Hospital’s intensive care unit today.

The intensive care unit now has 4 negative pressure rooms and two isolation rooms.

“This means going forward we will be able to manage, as our economy and country opens up, future cases because as we know once our international borders lift, we will get more COVID cases and it will be in the community. It will be really important that our hospitals have these facilities. They will be able to isolate people and contain the virus.”

Mrs D’Ath acknowledged the Federal Government’s 50:50 contribution of $1.6m for the intensive care unit upgrade.

She said since the State Government was elected in 2015, it had invested more than $100m in Redcliffe Hospital.

“(And) We have made a commitment to look at a business case to look at a major expansion of the hospital because of the growth we’re seeing in the Moreton Bay Region,” she said.

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