Last updated 9 June 2021.
This blog post is a guide to where you can get the COVID-19 vaccine. If you want to know more about the vaccine, YDAS has made a blog post with information for young disabled people about the COVID-19 Vaccine.
It is important to know that you have to have a A green card that means you can get cheaper medical services in Australia.Medicare card to get the vaccine from a GP Clinic. If you do not have a Medicare card, you can still get the vaccine for free from a respiratory clinic.
You will be reminded about this when you book your vaccine appointment online.
How do I get the COVID-19 vaccine?
The first step is to go to the Vaccine Eligibility Checker. This is a tool that will ask you some questions about yourself.
The Vaccine Eligibility Checker is available in English and 8 other languages.
The Medicine that protects against a disease. It is usually given as a needle in your arm.vaccine is being given to some groups of people before others. People with some disabilities will be able to get the first dose of the vaccine in April or May.
If you are one of the people who can get the vaccine, you will be shown the Vaccine Clinic Finder page.
Because there are a lot of people who need to get the vaccine, you might not be able to book an appointment right away. If there are no appointments available when you check the Vaccine Clinic Finder, keep checking every week. More appointments will be added as they become available.
As of 9 April 2021, if you are under 18, you cannot currently book through the vaccine clinic finder. Further information on booking a vaccination will be available soon.
How do I use the Vaccine Clinic Finder?
Step 1: Enter your postcode or use your location
The Vaccine Clinic Finder looks like this:
The image contains blue text at the top which says: Find COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics near you.
Below text, on the left is an image of Australia. To the right is a grey text box that says 'enter A four digit number that is different for every suburb in Australia. All postcodes for Victoria start with the number 3. For example, the postcode for Berwick is 3806.postcode or town.'
There is a tick box option to use your current location.
Below this is a dark blue SEARCH button
Step 2: Search
You will be able to sort the search results by 'Earliest Available' or 'Nearest.'
The search results include the phone number and opening hours for local clinics. There will also be some information about the next COVID-19 vaccine appointment. The search results will show you if there are no appointments available in the next few weeks.
This is what the search results page looks like:
The image shows the words 'Search Results' at the top, and then red text that advises people to book online rather than making a phone call if they can. This is because clinics will be overwhelmed with phone calls. The red text also says that not all clinics have been added to the clinic finder yet.
Below this is the suburb searched (Berwick) and the option to sort the search results by the nearest to that suburb or by the clinic that has the soonest appointments available.
To the left is a Google Map of the area, with clinic locations marked in blue pins. On the left is more information about the clinics.
Step 3: Choose a clinic
Click on one of the clinics in the search results that has appointments available. When you have clicked on one of the clinics, your screen will look like this:
The image has the name of the clinic at the top (Murray House). Below that, on the left is a Google Map showing the clinic and other places nearby. On the right is some information about the clinic, including the address and a red 'Make a Booking' button.
If you want to choose a different clinic, you can click the button that says, BACK TO SEARCH RESULTS.
Step 4: Make a booking
When you click the 'Make a Booking' button, your screen will show you a page that will be different for every clinic. For example, you might be taken to a website called Hot Doc. Hot Doc will ask you who you are making the appointment for.
The Hot Doc page looks like this:
The image is a white background, with a question in the centre. The question, in black text, asks, 'Who are you booking this appointment for?'
The possible answers are: For myself (left) and Someone else (right)
You might be taken to a booking website called Health Site. The Health Site page might look like this:
The image is a white background. Blue text says that you need to have a Medicare card to get the vaccine from this clinic. Below this, in blue, are the options to select appointment type (COVID-19 Vaccination), select doctor and select date.
You might be taken to a webpage that looks a bit different. No matter what the website looks like, if you answer the questions and choose a date and time, you will be able to book your appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Even after you have had the two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, it is still important to:
- Wash your hands regularly
- Use hand sanitiser if you are out and can't wash your hands
- Physically distance where you can. This means staying 1.5 metres away from other people.
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