Vax and the City: Every public health official in Australia agrees that mass vaccination is the only way out of this crisis. We at Time Out recommend that you get vaccinated as soon as you can, if that is appropriate for your own health. Please speak to a medical professional about what is right for you. Here's what you need to know about how to get a vaccine right now.
After recording its highest ever day of vaccination, Victoria is on track to reach its vaccination targets earlier than expected. There were 36,716 doses put into arms yesterday, including both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines. That has put the state on track to reach its target of 1 million doses before the end of September.
Two weeks ago, premier Dan Andrews set a target of administering 1 million doses over the next five weeks, or the end of September. There are only 246,000 left to go, which means that if things continue along their current trajectory, Victoria will handily meet that target. "We are ahead of our schedule," Andrews said. "We will beat the five-week mark, and that's fantastic news, and then we'll set a new goal and a new target for even more vaccinations as we look to the weeks and months to come."
Some 62.2 per cent of Victorians have had their first dose, and 38.6 per cent are fully vaccinated. The state's goal is to reach 80 per cent full vaccination, at which point lockdowns are expected to be retired permanently.
Appointments are available for both AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccinations (book your appointment here) this week and in the coming weeks. Andrews made the point that of the 100 people currently in hospital with Covid-19, 87 have not been vaccinated at all, and 13 have had a single dose. Not one person is in a Victorian hospital who has been fully vaccinated.