Meet Jabba the bus: GV Health vaccination vehicle hits the road in Australian first

Sep 4, 2021

Jabba the bus will be on the road from Tuesday, September 7, taking vaccinations to communities that haven't been able to access vaccination hubs.

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The bus is an Australian first and will travel across the GV Health Local Public Health Unit (LPHU) catchment area, which includes the municipalities of Greater Shepparton, Moira, Benalla, Strathbogie, Mitchell, Murrindindi and Campaspe.

GV Health worked with Dyson Group to convert the bus. It has three cubicles for vaccinations and a waiting area where patients can be monitored after their vaccination.

“It started off as a conversation over morning tea or a lunchtime break for the staff here at the McIntosh Centre and is something that sort of grew from there and became a reality,” GV Health chief executive Matt Sharp said.

Roy Ward from Dyson's received his first vaccination in the bus after cutting the ribbon.

“It was something that was such a simple idea, it made so much sense to us as a family business,” Mr Ward said.

“Our whole businesses around mobility for people out in the community and this really does that, it allows people that may not have access to transport or other means to be able to get vaccinated.”

The bus will deliver both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccinations in line with the government’s vaccination guidelines.

Dr Helen Roberts said while compact and portable, the bus is fitted out to be COVID safe.

“We've replicated all of those efficient COVID-safe processes that we have in place on the bus and look to scale them to be appropriate for that setting and appropriate for the groups that we're targeting with this vaccination rollout,” she said.

“We have disability access, we have access to everybody that comes to us and we will be offering both Pfizer and AstraZeneca on the bus, depending on the cohort that is coming forward, and also in reaching into those places that find it difficult to travel or a challenge by traveling to a major hub centre.”