The Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccination program will again expand in Victoria to include everyone aged 40 years and over.

From Friday 28 May, more than half of all Victorians will be eligible to receive either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines – helping protect themselves, their loved ones and our whole community.

Victorians aged 40-49 years will be able to access to the Pfizer vaccine at state run vaccination sites, in line with advice from ATAGI.

People aged 40-49 years receiving the Pfizer vaccine must book an appointment by calling the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 – and can do so now – this is essential as not all vaccination centres will have the Pfizer vaccine available.

Victorians aged 50 years and over will continue to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, either through a state-run vaccination centre or a participating GP clinic – as recommended by ATAGI.

While many vaccination centres are accepting walk-in appointments for people aged 50 years and over, bookings via the 1800 675 398 hotline are preferred.

Since launching the first high-volume vaccination centres, the state-run program has expanded rapidly to more than 30 hubs across both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Victoria has seen record demand this week for vaccinations and forward bookings, and the Victorian Government is grateful for the public’s response and patience.

For more information on Victoria’s vaccination centres, including locations and opening hours, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-centres. For more information on the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccination program, visit health.vic.gov.au.

Quotes attributable to Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley

“Almost 400,000 Victorians have already been vaccinated through one of our vaccination centres – it’s now time to open the doors to everyone aged 40 years and over.”

“This is a significant step forward in our vaccine rollout, as we work towards our goal of vaccinating as many eligible Victorians as possible.”

“The latest outbreak is a reminded that the best thing you can do to keep your community safe as we head into winter is to go out and get vaccinated.”