Councils will receive the Japanese encephalitis vaccines for free, but must cover the cost of administering the vaccine.
Campaspe Shire Council has compromised and decided to pass this administrative cost on to the public, charging $25 for each Japanese encephalitis vaccine.
However, high-risk groups will still receive the vaccine for free.
WHO GETS THE JAB FOR FREE?
– Piggery workers and their families, transport workers, vets and anyone else involved with pigs.
– Pork abattoir and pork rendering plant workers.
– People who work in mosquito study/control such as entomologists and environmental health officers.
– Diagnostic and research lab workers who work with Japanese encephalitis.
– People aged over 50 who live or work in the following local government areas: Mildura, Swan Hill, Gannawarra, Campaspe, Moira, Greater Shepparton, Indigo, Wodonga, Towong and Loddon
Everyone else will have to pay to receive the vaccination.
The Department of Health aims to vaccinate all high-risk groups before the summer mosquito season begins.
Campaspe Shire Council plans to deliver the jabs by sending nurses to high-risk workplaces and vaccinating the workforce for free.
The vaccines will also be available to interested low-risk community members by appointment — provided you’re willing to pay.
Cr Colleen Gates moved the motion to approve the $25 cover charge and Cr Leanne Pentreath seconded it.
“Seeing we have a lot of water lying around it might be very pertinent utilising out staff (to administer vaccines),” Cr Pentreath said.
“It’s important basically that if we are going to give vaccines that we can actually off-set these costs, remembering that you can still receive the vaccines at your doctors and other areas.”
Council has adopted this blanket $25 cover charge for any future ‘unusual’ vaccines which aren’t part of the normal immunisation schedule.
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