BENDIGO hit a significant COVID-19 vaccination milestone on Thursday, reaching a 70 per cent double dose rate among eligible residents.
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Bendigo Health chairman Bob Cameron said he was pleased to confirm that Bendigo had reached the milestone.
"This has been a fantastic effort from Bendigonians and it's a fantastic effort for the vaccination staff, fantastic effort by the GPs and pharmacies and we are now skyrocketing along," he said.
"The community have been very keen to get back to normal life and vaccination is the only way to do that without going back in lockdown."
Mr Cameron said he expected Bendigo to hit the 80 per cent double dose around October 25.
"At Bendigo Health with the state government support, we want to vaccinate as many people as possible," he said.
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"People have been so keen and they have been on our back to do it and we have tried to do it as quickly as possible.
"We have a really high childhood vaccination rate in Bendigo so you would assume because people are so pro-vaccine that it would translate people to be pro-Covid vaccine."
Bendigo Health expects to administer just under 1000 vaccine today, taking the total of vaccinations administered at the Mollison Street clinic to 107,934 since May.
"It's a big number and it's a lot of jabs," Mr Cameron said.
"It's great to see the clinic busy, we have the vaccine, we have the people now we just need to get that number up."
Bendigo resident Sam Garland's vaccination helped tip the region over the 70 per cent mark.
"I wanted to do my part to protect my community and myself," he said.
"It's definitely reassuring to see so many people get vaccinated in the community and it's great to see everyone doing their bit.
The 26-year-old said everyone he knew were keen to get the vaccine and encouraged more young people to consider getting vaccinated.
Central Victoria's first mass vaccination clinic first opened to the public on May 24.
Bendigo Health nurse vaccinator Jo McCann has been working at the clinic since day one.
As a healthcare worker, she said it was reassuring to see the community respond so strongly to vaccination.
"We will get out of these restrictions and lockdowns with vaccination and we will do that faster if more people come in and get their vaccine," she said.
"We are excited to reach the 70 per cent vaccination mark and the higher the number is, the happier we will be.
"We love working here, it's a great environment and we are thankful to be doing this important job."
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