VCE Vaccination blitz

By Yvette Brand

VCE students are part of a COVID vaccination blitz to prepare students for their final exams next month.

The blitz, beginning today and running until September 17, will give priority to VCE students, teachers and exam supervisors.

A dedicated hotline opened yesterday for appointments.

With the General Achievement Task (GAT) scheduled for October 5 and examinations currently set between October 4 and November 17, the blitz aims to get students vaccinated before final exams.

The priority vaccination program is being run at state-run clinics, including the Warragul Goods Shed.  But, Premier Daniel Andrews urged any students who already had appointments with their GPs to continue with that process.

The vaccination blitz began early for a number of local VCE students last week who got in early ahead of the government’s announcements.

Marist Sion College year 12 students Bridie Mulqueen and Lily Sheehan had their first jabs last week after earlier announcements the Pfizer vaccination was available to 16 to 39-years-olds.

“I was happy to get it done and do the right thing,” Bridie said.

For the current year 12 cohort it has been a year marked by lockdowns and remote learning.  But in some ways, their lengthy year 11 remote learning stint may have helped them prepare.

“I would rather be at school but it’s not the worst thing, I work quite well at home,” Bridie said.

Lily said the pressure for assessments to be crammed into timeframes when they came out of lockdown was difficult.

In the short window of opening up in August, she said they had a lot of assessments at once.  

“It was quite stressful doing the SACs all in one week but now we are back in lockdown we just have to get them done at home,” Lily said.

With their English exams currently set for October 27, they are focussing on staying well to finishing off what has been an interrupted year.

And, with senior year social events also disrupted, they are still hopeful of a valedictory dinner with friends to celebrate the end of secondary education.

VCE students, including year 11 students doing unit three and four studies, are encouraged to book in for their vaccination at a state vaccination clinic or one of the many local medical clinics also offering Pfizer vaccinations.

Details for booking at state vaccination clinics via the dedicated hotline have been released by schools.