Vaccination and testing services

The following is information about where to get a COVID-19 vaccination in the OM PHU catchment. Please note, the following information is correct at the time of publishing. Please check with the provider about vaccine availability. 

Alternatively, you can try the Australian Government's Vaccine Finder website by clicking here

Getting vaccinated protects you from getting seriously ill with COVID-19. 

Immunity wanes over time so get your booster dose now to get added protection ahead of winter. 

A bivalent vaccine targeting the omicron variant is available for everyone aged 18 and above.

Even if you had COVID-19, you should still get vaccinated. Vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against the virus.

Who can get vaccinated

Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends the 2023 booster dose for people at higher risk of severe illness, including:

• Everyone aged 65 and above
• Everyone aged 18 and above who are at risk.

The 2023 booster dose is available for: 

• Everyone aged 18 and above
• At risk children aged between 5 and 17 years.

ATAGI recommends 2 doses as a primary course for: 

• Everyone aged 5 years and above
• At risk children aged between 6 months and 5 years.

At risk adults and children include those with a disability, severely compromised immune system and complex or multiple health conditions, which increase their risk of severe COVID-19.

You may need additional doses based on your medical condition. Please speak to your GP for more information. 

Where to get a vaccination 

See above on our website for information across the OM PHU catchment. 

After your vaccination 

You might have side effects such as pain where you had the needle, tiredness, muscle aches, fever or chill and joint pain. Side effects are normal and a sign that the vaccine is working. They are usually mild and go away after a day or two.

Serious side effects are very rare. Contact your doctor if you are worried, or if any side effects have not gone away after a few days.

PCR tests

• Ovens Murray Public Health Unit no longer does PCR tests or distributes Rapid Antigen Tests (RA Tests).
• For PCR tests, please see your GP.
• Members of the Aboriginal community can access rapid COVID-19 PCR testing at Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service.

RA Tests

• RA tests are available through local councils. See the list below. For further details or other Victorian shires please visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/get-a-covid-19-test 
• Individuals can collect up to two packets for themselves plus up to two packets for each household member per visit while people with a disability or their carer can collect up to four packets of tests.

RAT Collection Points
For further details or other Victorian shires please visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/get-a-covid-19-test

RAT Collection Points
(for the Ovens and Murray Public Health Unit catchment area)

For further details or other Victorian shires please visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/get-a-covid-19-test

The following is information about where to get a flu vaccination in the OM PHU catchment. Please note, the following information is correct at the time of publishing. Please check with the provider about vaccine availability.

Influenza immunisation provides protection against influenza and helps reduce the number of infections and deaths. Good hand hygiene, cough etiquette and staying home when unwell also help prevent the spread of influenza.

Influenza (flu) is caused by a highly contagious virus that is spread by contact with fluids from coughs and sneezes. Every year, the flu causes widespread illness in the community.

During 2023, amidst the fourth year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, continued seasonal flu activity is anticipated as borders remain open and interstate and international travel increases.

Vaccination is key to protecting yourself and those around you from the flu.

Who should be immunised against the flu?

Immunisation against the flu is recommended for everyone aged 6 months and over.

Some people with underlying medical conditions or reduced immunity are more at risk of complications from the flu and are eligible for free vaccination under the National Immunisation Program (NIP). They include:

• children aged from 6 months to under 5 years
• anyone aged 65 years and older
• pregnant women (at any stage of pregnancy)
• all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged from 6 months and over
• people 6 months or older with:
• heart disease
• chronic lung disease (including people with severe asthma who require frequent hospital visits)
• chronic neurological conditions
• impaired immunity
• haemoglobinopathies (blood disorders caused by genetic changes)
• diabetes
• kidney disease
• children on long-term aspirin therapy from 6 months to 10 years

Annual flu vaccine is also recommended (but not necessarily free) for other people such as:

• those who work with or live in close contact with people with an underlying medical condition or reduced immunity, such as:
• health care workers
• staff in long-term care facilities or nursing homes
• people who live with, or care for someone who has a chronic illness or is aged over 65 years
• carers of homeless people
• workers, particularly those in workplaces that provide essential services
• people who work with children
• people with Down syndrome
• people who are obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2)
• people who are addicted to alcohol
• people who are homeless
• residents in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities
• people involved in the commercial poultry and pig industry
• people who provide essential community services
• anyone visiting parts of the world where the flu is circulating, especially if travelling in a group.

Speak to your immunisation provider to see if you are eligible for a free flu vaccine.

People not eligible for free flu vaccination under the NIP can purchase the flu vaccine from their immunisation provider.

JE vaccinations are provided free to eligible Victorians by councils and Local Public Health Units

You are eligible for JE vaccination no matter where you live if you:

• work or live on a piggery
•  work directly with pigs (pig transport, veterinarians and others involved in the care of pigs)
•  work in a pork abattoir or rendering plant or work in mosquito surveillance or control, in the field or a laboratory.

Some other providers including GPs and pharmacies may charge an administration fee, so ask about out-of-pocket costs.

In Victoria, the mpox vaccine (JYNNEOS® vaccine) is available free-of-charge for eligible people who meet any of the following criteria.

Eligibility criteria

• Post-exposure preventive vaccination (PEPV) for high-risk close contacts of mpox cases, preferably within 4 days.
• Primary preventive vaccination (PPV) has been expanded to include:
• All sexually active gay and bisexual men (cis and trans).
• Sexual partners of the above.
• Sex workers.
• Immunisation providers who are administering the ACAM2000™ smallpox vaccine.
• Laboratory workers who analyse specimens from mpox cases.

Vaccination may also be considered for healthcare workers at higher risk of exposure to patients with mpox, including primary care, sexual health clinics, hospital staff and others, based on local risk assessments. The risk of transmission should be also minimised by using infection control measures.

Two doses are required for optimal protection and can be given 28 days apart. The mpox vaccine takes approximately 14 days before it is effective.

For more information on vaccination, see Victorian mpox (monkeypox) vaccination program guidelines.

We provide the Jynneos vaccine. 

We encourage you to read more and fill out the consent form at https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/08/monkeypox-mpx-consent-form-for-jynneos-vaccination.pdf