Melbourne Town Hall doors to open wider to welcome city workers, visitors and residents for vaccination

Two months after it first opened its doors as a vaccination centre for people facing disadvantage, the cohealth Melbourne Town Hall vaccination centre will now offer vaccinations to anyone who lives in, works in or visits the city, with extended hours to catch people after work.

From Tuesday 9 November the cohealth Melbourne Town Hall vaccination centre will open Mon-Fri,10am – 6pm with walk-ins and appointments available, with the support of the Victorian Government and the City of Melbourne.

“As workers return to the city and the shops get busier in the lead-up to Christmas, we hope to offer a convenient and welcoming health space for people who want to drop in and get their first or second jab,” said Nicole Bartholomeusz, Chief Executive, cohealth.

“Extending our operating hours will allow us to catch people after work or on their way to end-of-year gatherings as well as shoppers. We’ve always tailored our services to community need, and this is another example of that,” said Ms Bartholomeusz.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said welcoming the wider community to Town Hall’s vaccination centre will help Melbourne  reopen as safely as possible.

“We want Victoria to be Australia’s most vaccinated state, and opening our Town Hall vaccination centre to all residents will make it even easier for Melburnians to get the jab,” the Lord Mayor said.

“We want to bring the buzz back to Melbourne and support our city business owners, and the best way we can do that is by hitting Victoria’s vaccination targets.”

Since opening on 1 September, cohealth has vaccinated more than 9,100 people at the Melbourne Town Hall, with a focus on those experiencing homelessness, international students, refugees and people with low English literacy.

Of the 9,100+ people who cohealth have vaccinated at Melbourne Town Hall since 1 September:

• 61 per cent did not have Medicare cards with around one half aged in their 20s reflecting the high numbers of international students presenting to the Melbourne Town Hall
• Around 5 per cent of those vaccinated were born in Australia but did not have Medicare cards and were likely homeless or experiencing severe disadvantage
• 54 per cent of those vaccinated at Melbourne Town Hall were aged 20-29
• Top 5 countries of birth:

1. 1. China
   2. Australia
   3. Colombia
   4. India
   5. Vietnam

• 33 per cent had a preferred language other than English with Top 3 preferred languages (other than English) Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish

“We’ve been thrilled with the turnout at the Melbourne Town Hall over these last two months, especially from people in their 20s and 30s who became eligible for vaccination later in the rollout.”

“Providing young people with access to the vaccine is critical to successfully opening Victoria back up, because young people are more mobile and likely to be interacting in work and social situations,” said Ms Bartholomeusz.

“There has been an overwhelming uptake from culturally and linguistically diverse communities to access the vaccine which shows that providing a culturally safe offering combined with our community engagement approach works,” said Ms Bartholomeusz.

“The vaccination centre has hit the target in reaching vulnerable community members in the CBD, and we’re excited to be opening the doors even wider as the city opens back up,” said Ms Bartholomeusz.

cohealth Melbourne Town Hall vaccination centre

Open Mon-Fri days, 10am – 6pm

Walk-ins welcome or book a vaccination appointment by calling 1800 675 398.

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More information: email media@cohealth.org.au or call 0499 101 638

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cohealth is a Victorian not-for-profit community health organisation that strives to improve health and wellbeing for all. It provides universal access to services as well as targeted programs and assertive models to address the health disparities experienced by disadvantaged groups. cohealth offers a broad range of high quality, integrated health and support services, including medical oral, pharmacy, mental health and drug and alcohol services.