The Victorian Government is helping local doctors and community pharmacies deliver more doses for kids between 5 and 11 on school grounds as part of the Commonwealth’s coronavirus vaccination program.

Through a new $4 million grants program, the Victorian Government is encouraging GPs and community pharmacists to establish additional mini-vaccination clinics at schools in areas that need more uptake, due to identified access challenges or increased risk of transmission.

As part of the new Primary Care Vaccinations in Schools program, grants will help local and trusted health professionals deliver vaccinations to students in the familiarity and comfort of their own school environment, outside of school hours.

Applicants will nominate the local government areas and number of schools and students they can help vaccinate – then successful applicants will be matched with schools in priority areas.

Successful applicants can receive up to $6,500 to cover staffing, travel and equipment costs and more. An additional $5,000 clinic establishment fee per school is also available, plus additional loadings for specialist schools or small, rural or regional schools.

In addition, the Victorian Government will roll out 30 pop-up vaccination clinics at primary schools across the state. The pop-ups will be open to all children aged 5 to 11, not just those attending the school hosting the clinic.

The pop-up school vaccination sites will be rolled out over the coming weeks, with bookings available soon. Families are encouraged to make a booking now at one of the many state-run sites currently open for five to 11 doses, or at one of the many local GPs and pharmacists delivering kids vaccines across the state.

Being vaccinated protects children and reduces transmission within families, schools and in the community including those we care most about such as grandparents.

The new, child-focused grants come as the latest round of Vaccine Enhancement Grants supporting GPs and pharmacies to deliver more doses comes to a close, with more than 586 expressions of interest received.

To date, $3.4 million in grant funding has been approved for 270 providers – and more applications are still under consideration. Some 22 priority LGAs have been reached, with 51 grants so far awarded to regional providers.

Among the successful recipients are a general practice in Melbourne’s inner north who estimate they’ll be able to deliver a 200 per cent increase in weekly doses thanks to the grant, and a pharmacy in the City of Knox that can extend service by an extra 10 hours a week and open its doors to walk ups.

Learn more about the Primary Care Vaccinations in Schools program at coronavirus.vic.gov.au/grants-primary-care-vaccinations.

Quotes attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“With 30 vaccination centres at schools, more than 35 vaccination centres in the community, plus grants for GPs and pharmacies to deliver more vaccines – we are doing all we can to get jabs into arms young and old.”

“Vaccination is the best thing you do to keep your children and family safe – get the kids vaccinated and your third dose at the same time.”

School pop-up vaccination clinics