22 February marks an important anniversary in the fight against COVID-19, with 12 months since Monash Health administered the first COVID-19 vaccine in Victoria on 22 February 2021.
The recipient of the first vaccine dose in Victoria was Professor Rhonda Stuart, Director of the Monash Health South East Public Health Unit (SEPHU), which is responsible for the vaccination program in southeast Melbourne.
“The southeast community has done an incredible job of coming forward and getting vaccinated. We’ve now administered over 1.4 million vaccine doses at SEPHU clinics and over 920,000 doses at Monash Health clinics.
“This has only been made possible by our outstanding vaccination team. I’d like to thank absolutely everybody involved, from the people administering the vaccine to the pharmacists, to the team at our front desks, to our community engagement program. It’s been an enormous team effort.
“It’s impressive how flexible everyone has been because there have been so many changes over the past 12 months. There was so much fuss over that first shipment of vaccine arriving, even though it was just one box, and now it’s become normal that anyone can walk straight into one of our clinics and get vaccinated.”
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Monash Health’s Pharmacy team received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine on 21 February 2021.Professor Stuart is also the Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology at Monash Health, where she helped care for the first diagnosed COVID-19 patient in Australia when they arrived at Monash Medical Centre on 24 January 2020.
“I can’t believe it’s already been 12 months since we started our vaccination program. It’s been a remarkable experience to help deliver millions of doses of this life-saving vaccine.
“I never quite expected to be the first person in the state to be vaccinated – it was all a bit overwhelming at the time. I was more scared of the camera than the needle!”
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Monash Health’s first COVID-19 vaccine recipients appear in media coverage on 22 February 2021.Since Monash Health’s vaccination program started in 2021, there have been many achievements and milestones along the way:
- 22 February 2021: the first COVID-19 vaccine in Victoria was administered at Monash Medical Centre and Monash Health opens its employee vaccination clinics
- 5 May 2021: our first high-volume vaccination centre opens at Cranbourne Turf Club
- 19 May 2021: our second high-volume vaccination centre opens at Sandown Racecourse
- 18 August 2021: our first pop-up vaccination clinic opens at Peanut Farm Research in response to a COVID-19 outbreak in St Kilda
- 20 August 2021: SEPHU reaches 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered
- 20 August 2021: our first drive-through vaccination clinic opens at Sandown Racecourse
- 15 October 2021: SEPHU reaches 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered
- 30 October 2021: third dose (booster) vaccines become available
- 3 December 2021: the SEPHU Vaccination Bus hits the road
- 10 January 2022: children aged 5 to 11 become eligible to be vaccinated
- 21 February 2022: the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine becomes available alongside the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines
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Chief Executive Andrew Stripp spoke to media on 19 August 2021 to promote Monash Health’s first drive-through COVID-19 vaccination clinic.Over 93% of Victorians aged 12 and over have been vaccinated with two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The SEPHU vaccination program is now focusing on delivering third doses (boosters) and providing vaccines to children aged 5 to 11.
Despite the millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses being delivered, Professor Stuart says that it is important for us always to be aware of and listen to the concerns some people have.
“We always look towards the latest evidence, research, health and safety. While we don’t know exactly what lies ahead for the next 12 months, those same principles will continue to guide us.”
If there’s one thing that hasn’t changed, it’s that getting vaccinated remains the best way to reduce the chances of becoming sick or getting hospitalised due to COVID-19.
To stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, visit the SEPHU website.
