After going through the top priority 1A group, the Australian government has now opened the door for the 1B group to get the potentially life-saving shot in the arm.
1B also includes a significant number of people younger than 70 but are eligible nevertheless.
How do I get my coronavirus vaccine?
Just because you are eligible for the vaccine doesn’t mean you will be able to get it straight away.
But select general practices across the country are rolling out the vaccine starting Monday.
The graphic below shows the GP surgeries where the vaccine will be available.
You can zoom in on the map or type your postcode into the search bar to find out. Not all postcodes will have a vaccination centre yet.
But the government is urging Australians to please be patient.
General practices do not know how many vaccines they will be receiving ahead of time, so they will be limited in how many appointments they can make.
Not to mention there is going to be very high demand for the vaccines.
People looking to receive a shot should check if their nearby vaccination centre is taking appointments online, rather than calling an undoubtedly busy receptionist.
Who is eligible for the coronavirus vaccine now?
Most of those people are people over the age of 70.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people older than 55 are also eligible.
Also eligible from Monday are health workers outside the 1B group and younger adults with underlying medical conditions.
Police, firefighters, defence personnel and emergency services workers are also able to get the vaccine as part of the 1B group.
And workers at meat processing centres are also eligible. That doesn’t include butchers and fishmongers.
Meat processing centres have been frequent coronavirus hotspots in Australia and internationally.
People who live in the same house as quarantine and border workers are also eligible.
What underlying medical conditions make you vaccine eligible?
Not every medical condition makes someone under 70 eligible for a vaccine.
People with haematological diseases or cancers like leukaemia or lymphoma are eligible for a shot.
People who have had non-haematological cancers are not automatically eligible.
You can get a shot if you’ve been diagnosed in the past five years or have advanced disease regardless of treatment.
If you are undergoing chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted anti-cancer treatment, you can get a vaccine.
Adult survivors of childhood cancer are also eligible.
Bone marrow or solid organ transplant recipients are eligible.
People with chronic inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease are eligible. People with osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia are not.
People with chronic kidney failure, heart disease, chronic lung disease, diabetes, severe obesity, chronic liver disease, poorly controlled blood pressure and significant disabilities are also eligible.
Those with severe mental health conditions like schizophrenia are also eligible.
People with chronic neurological conditions like stroke, dementia, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Parkinson’s disease and cerebral palsy are eligible.
What do I need to do to get a vaccine?
You shouldn’t assume the vaccinators will take your word for it that you are eligible.
If you are getting the shot from your regular GP, the clinic’s records can be used as proof of eligibility.
Otherwise, a printout of your medical history, chronic disease care plan, a hospital discharge summary or a valid prescription script can be used, so long as they are relevant.
A referral from a GP or specialist is also acceptable.
If none of these are available, you can fill out an eligibility declaration form.
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This content first appear on 9news