Vaccination buses ready to hit road

Jeremy Rockliff,Minister for Health

The Tasmanian Government's COVID-19 vaccination bus service will hit the road on Monday 18 October to bring an accessible vaccination option to Tasmania's rural and remote communities.

The service – run in partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service Tasmania – will cover thousands of kilometres to ensure every eligible Tasmanian has the opportunity to receive the vaccine.

Two buses will visit 23 different townships across Tasmania's North, North-East, North-West, West Coast, Southern Midlands and Central Highlands during an initial three-week period.

Local people aged 12 and above can turn up on the day without an appointment and receive a Pfizer vaccination aboard the bus.

The service will return to each township three weeks later to deliver the second dose.

In week one, starting October 18, the mobile clinic will head to St Leonards on Monday, Westbury on Tuesday, Strahan, Beaconsfield and Beauty Point on Wednesday, Tullah on Thursday, and Waratah on Friday.

In week two, it will visit Mole Creek, Edith Creek, Irishtown, Sassafras, Redpa, and Railton.

The buses will then stop at Miena, Bridport, Gladstone, Kempton, Colebrook, Ringarooma, Parattah, Tunnack, Winnaleah, and Woodsdale in week three.

The full list of dates, locations and times will be published on the Tasmanian Government's coronavirus webpage.

The RFDS buses – donated by the Tasmanian Government in 2020 and transformed into mobile health clinics with funds raised by Rotary Tasmania and a Commonwealth Government grant – will be staffed by Department of Health immunisers and RFDS staff and volunteers.

Over the coming days, we will continue to work closely with local councils and community groups to encourage locals to turn up and make the most of this opportunity.

Vaccination remains one of the best ways to protect yourself, your loved ones and the community.

I'd like to again thank those Tasmanians who have already rolled up their sleeves and been vaccinated or booked in. And a big thank you to the many nurses, administration staff, pharmacists, public health specialists, doctors, paramedics and other health staff who we continue to rely on to ensure our vaccination effort runs smoothly.

All Tasmanians aged 12 and over can also get vaccinated at a state-run community clinic, pharmacy, or GP surgery. If you haven't yet been vaccinated, I would encourage you to join the thousands of other Tasmanians and book an appointment now. Please, don't wait. Vaccinate.

Visit www.coronavirus.tas.gov.au or call 1800 671 738 to book your vaccination.