Northern Health to operate mass vaccination hub at PRACC

The City of Whittlesea will play an important role in supporting public health and protecting against the spread of coronavirus by hosting a mass vaccination hub at the Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre (PRACC).

Northern Health will run the vaccination centre from Friday 11 June until the end of 2021 and offer both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines through walk-ups and bookings (subject to supply).

DPV Health, which is operating a walk-up vaccination clinic for AstraZeneca at PRACC, will move its clinic to Epping Memorial Hall from Saturday 12 June.

City of Whittlesea Chief Executive Officer Craig Lloyd said the expansion of PRACC to a mass vaccination site would boost the ability to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible.

“We are pleased to partner with the Victorian Government and Northern Health to provide a site capable of offering both vaccines,” Mr Lloyd said.

“This program will make a huge difference to the number of people able to get the vaccine, with a large number of vaccinations expected to be administered daily.

“PRACC is ideally suited for this purpose. It has the necessary floor space and the space for secure fridges and freezers legally required to store the vaccines, and it is easily accessible from public transport.

“The vaccination program requires the full use of the facility so unfortunately, we’ve had to cancel all bookings at PRACC for the remainder of the year. This was a difficult decision but in the interests of public health, this is the right decision.

“Ensuring everyone can get vaccinated when they are eligible is the best way to protect our residents against COVID-19, and that’s the priority for the City of Whittlesea.

The Northern Health vaccination hub at PRACC will be open from 8.30am to 5pm daily. Vaccinations can be booked at vaccination.nh.org.au.

The testing site operating at Epping Memorial Hall has closed, while the testing site at Mosaic Community Pavilion in Lalor continues to operate.

Where to book your vaccination

• Northern Health - https://vaccination.nh.org.au/. 
• Victorian Department of Health - https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/book-your-vaccine-appointment

Local testing sites and wait times

• https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/where-get-tested-covid-19