News and information…
COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
General information about Australia’s COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out Strategy is available here.
Please check this page regularly for updated information regarding Covid-19 Vaccinations – please DO NOT PHONE THE CLINIC to ask about COVID-19 Vaccinations, we will communicate new information as it becomes available on this page of our website.
5 March 2021:
We are excited to announce that we will START GIVING COVID-19 VACCINATIONS ON SATURDAY 27th MARCH 2021. We will post details here regarding HOW TO BOOK your vaccination early next week. Appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations will initially only be available for weekends. This will enable us to separate the vaccination clinics from normal consulting in order to meet the stringent administration requirements associated with COVID-19 vaccines. We are extremely proud to be part of the first cohort of general practices around Australia that have been nominated to participate in the vaccine rollout.
If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine or are undecided about whether to have it, please book an appointment to discuss this with your doctor.
While you are waiting for appointments to become available there are some things you can be doing to get ready for your vaccine: Preparing for your COVID-19 Vaccination.
COVID-19 VACCINE ELIGIBILITY CHECKER
If you are 70 years or older (55 years or older if Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander) you are automatically eligible for a vaccine in Phase 1b of the rollout. Other ages may be eligible due to occupation (critical & high risk workers or health care workers) or due to underlying medical conditions including disability – please use this link to check which phase of the COVID-19 Vaccine rollout you fit into: https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility
WEEKEND PROTOCOL – no appointment necessary
On weekends and public holidays, please use the QR code at our entrance to get a COVID PASS, ensuring you have no Covid symptoms before entering the waiting room. Patients will be seen in order of arrival. If you have symptoms please phone the clinic before 10:00am, so we can arrange for the doctor to call you and book you into our carpark respiratory clinic if appropriate.
If you’ve had a Covid test, please phone the clinic so we can arrange for a doctor to call you back with the result. We have limited capacity to change ‘dressings’ on weekends, but if strictly necessary, you are advised to come as early as possible – depending on how busy the carpark respiratory clinic gets, dressings may not be possible after 10:00am on weekends.
TELEHEALTH
Telehealth is still available where appropriate – please phone the clinic to book telehealth appointments.
TELEHEALTH FEES
There is an out of pocket gap (after the Medicare rebate) of $30 (or $15 for Concession patients). These gaps are lower than for face-to-face appointments.
CORONAVIRUS TESTING
Blackburn Clinic is not able to test for COVID-19. Please CLICK HERE to view the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) MAP OF COVID-19 TESTING SITES or speak with your doctor. Some sites require a referral from your GP. Click on the site you are interested in attending to get further information about their service.
CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOM CHECKER
CLICK HERE to access the DHHS Symptom Checker.
CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Please CLICK HERE to view information provided by DHHS about COVID-19, which is available in over 50 different languages.