Dear Patients,

The team at Port Melbourne Medical are honoured to have been chosen by the Commonwealth Department of Health to participate in the Australian COVID-19 Vaccination program. We are establishing the Port Melbourne Vaccination Clinic (PMVC), which will be dedicated to vaccinating our community.
Port Melbourne Medical, Port Melbourne Respiratory Clinic and Melbourne Pathology will continue operating as normal although some hours may change.

We anticipate that we will be able to start vaccinations during the week of 22nd March 2021.

We are still finalising the venue but it’s likely to be at the Port Melbourne Football Club (PMFC) Sandridge Centre-North Port Oval, 541 Williamstown Road and/or from our rooms on weekends in the initial phase. The hours of operation are yet to be determined and will fluctuate as more/less vaccines are delivered to us. Once in full operation, it will be at the PMFC Monday to Friday and some weekends. We would like to thank the Port Phillip Council and Port Melbourne Football Club for their assistance and ongoing support in making PMVC happen.

Everybody is doing their best to deliver a seamless process but there are likely to be some hiccups. The digital platform to manage the bookings, upload immunisation records and track vaccine inventory is outside of our control and despite the Government’s best efforts, it is likely that some issues will arise. We will also be seeking significantly more vaccines than can be supplied in the early phases and expect occasional delivery failures. There will be disruptions, but please understand once you have a booking and are on boarded into the PMVC you will be vaccinated. As local production ramps up at CSL we expect greater supply of vaccines and will upscale our team to vaccinate everyone as quickly as possible. We have also been given a greater day one and weekly allocation than GP clinics and aim to vaccinate as many patients as quickly as possible.

What do we know so far:

  • Those who are eligible under phase 1b will be able to book in as spots are available
  • Those who are eligible under phase 1a who haven’t yet received their vaccine will be able to book in as well
  • This is fully Government funded – there will be no cost to the individual
  • Eligible people who do not have a Medicare Card are welcome to attend PMVC. Non Medicare Card holders are NOT eligible to attend regular GP clinics
  • The attendance at Port Melbourne Vaccination Clinic is to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and not for any other non-related medical service. We will not be issuing scripts or providing other non-vaccine advice
  • Please don’t try and book yet as the platform is still being built and when it’s ready, we will update the first eligible groups to be vaccinated

What do you need to know:

  • The PMVC will be controlled by the team at Port Melbourne Medical. The doctors/nurses/managers/receptionists will be working hard. Please be respectful and kind and acknowledge them as they haven’t had a meaningful break in 12 months and will probably be working overtime or on a day off when you see them
  • Please do not call reception – as information comes to hand it will be put on our website, emailed out and communicated via SMS. Reception will not have any additional information than what is on our website. Our phone lines are busy at the best of times and we need to keep the phone lines free for PMM patient bookings/ queries. Port Melbourne Football Club will have no information about bookings, eligibility, timing, or general running, so please do not call them for information either
  • When it’s your turn to have your vaccine, remember to wear a t-shirt to give easy access to your arm. This may be done in a semi-open space and wearing a long sleeve shirt is impractical
  • Yelling, anti-social behaviour or being aggressive towards our staff WILL NOT accelerate your position in the queue. We cannot control the supply. Any aggressive behaviour means you will be asked to leave and will not receive your vaccine from us
  • Both proposed venues have disabled access and we suggest where possible walk/ride to avoid parking issues
  • There are many eligible people in category 1b and everyone will get their turn
  • When you book into the clinic, this is to have your vaccine – it cannot be to discuss and deliberate if you would like it. We have to get through the large volumes quickly (both to increase numbers of people, but also to protect vaccine quality and to minimise wastage), so if you have questions about it, please discuss this with your GP prior to attending or find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE COVID VACCINE

Consent & Personal Data:

  • You will be required to consent prior to booking in for your COVID-19 vaccine. This will likely be electronic via the dedicated booking platform. We will send further emails and update our website as more information comes to hand
  • We are mandated to upload all vaccinations to the Australian Immunisation Registry. This will include small amounts of your personal data. The Government will use this to track (de identified) the number of vaccines given and other epidemiological statistics. This also allows you to then have an online record of your vaccine and a digital certificate is being planned. More information about how to access your vaccine records will be available on our website shortly and will be provided on the day of your immunisation

On the day of your vaccine:

  • Do not attend if you have any Respiratory illnesses such as cough, runny nose, sore throat etc. You will be required to attend our Respiratory Clinic and receive a COVID-19 swab and have a negative result before entering if you have symptoms. Please don’t lie or down play any conditions you have. The doctors/nurses/admin team should not be exposed to illnesses and the safety of the team protecting you is paramount. Once you have recovered and have a negative swab you will be welcomed back to get vaccinated
  • Do not arrive more than 5 minutes early, as we have to maintain the correct person per square metre ratio. If you arrive early, please wait outside until your appointment time
  • Do not arrive late – there will be large numbers of people to get through and turning up late will mean that you may miss out on your vaccine. Plan ahead, don’t schedule things beforehand that may run over time, and give ample time for parking if necessary
  • There may be delays – if a patient before you faints or has a medical episode this may cause delays and is outside of our control. We will do everything we can to run on time and efficiently
  • Wear a MASK when attending PMVC
  • You must bring photo ID (passport/driver’s licence acceptable). Without ID we CANNOT give you your vaccination
  • If you are eligible as you are over 70, your driver’s licence or passport with your date of birth is sufficient to prove your eligibility
  • If you are under 70 but have an underlying medical condition that makes you eligible in phase 1b, you must bring proof of eligibility. This could be a letter from your GP/treating specialist, or, we expect there will be an option to print and sign a personal declaration that you are eligible. We expect this to be available over the next 1-2 weeks
  • If you are eligible due to your occupation, you must bring a letter from your employer, or other proof such as your work ID badge.

 

When can I get vaccinated:
Check your vaccine position via the Government Vaccine Eligibility Checker.

GOVERNMENT VACCINE ELIGIBILITY CHECKER

To be Confirmed:
There are still many unknowns that should be answered in the coming days/weeks:

  • How do people book in? This will likely be via portmelbournemedical.com.au booking tab to HotDoc but we are waiting for confirmation about this process. PMVC is likely to operate 3 days a week to start. As vaccine supply increases we expect it will be 5 days a week with some weekends and afterhours to help those who are unable to attend during the week
  • At what location will we deliver the vaccines? We are confirming location but it will likely be at the Port Melbourne Football Club Sandridge Centre and/or Port Melbourne Medical

 

BE PART OF THE TEAM
If there is anyone who would like to be part of this important community safety program we are looking for the following dedicated people.

Nurses
who have completed their COVID19 training module, to deliver vaccines

Pharmacists
who would like to draw up the vaccines and be part of the oversight

Volunteers
Anyone who would like to volunteer their time to help with the flow of people/registration, data entry etc.

specialist
healthcare

conveniently
open 7days

new patients
welcome