Goya Dmytryshchak
We’ve been told vaccination is the only way out of the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the world. Despite claims of being behind schedule and a slow take-up, the state’s vaccination roll-out has so far reached almost 400,000 Victorians.
Frontline workers conducting COVID-19 tests and administering vaccinations at the Sunshine Hospital and Melbourne Showgrounds share their thoughts, in their own words.
LALOMA CARSTENS, HILLSIDE
I have worked for Western Health for 20 years. I am one of the ICU in-charge nurses. Working at the vaccination hub has been physically exhausting but nice. People are so overwhelmed, so excited and so grateful – especially with the current outbreak. It’s been an eye-opener for many. A lot could have come two or three months ago.
It’s very satisfying when we see big crowds because the more people who are vaccinated, the safer we will be, the safer the community will be. Hopefully in time we can go back to life as normal as we possibly can. I think that’s what everyone is hoping for.
In ICU, I’ve seen the effects COVID has on patients and families. For me, that’s been an eye-opener. If we can avoid what we went through last year that will be absolutely amazing because it was a very stressful, depressing year, not just for the public but for the nurses.
I worked in ICU. I saw the devastation COVID that had on people and on the community. To be in lockdown so long, everything was affected – socially, economically and emotionally.
A lot of people have had the idea that they’d be better covered with Pfizer because the two doses are given closer together but that’s not true. It’s about reassuring people that both vaccines are effective and offer a lot of protection.
SHAIL PATEL, TARNEIT
I started working at the vaccination hub in February this year. I’m a nurse immuniser. It’s been a good experience. I just graduated in January and one month later I was here doing my best to help the community with vaccinations.
Initially the response was a bit slow but people have started coming after the positive cases in the community. They are realising that vaccinations are the one key thing to protect ourselves from the virus.
We aren’t experiencing as many harassments as we usually experience in our day-to-day life as a nurse. I’ve been in wards doing my placements and I’ve seen people doing it, but I think with vaccinations they know we are doing our best to save the community. There’s always happy faces here, excited to get the jab done, taking selfies and videos to post on social media with the hashtag #JabDone.
There’s not too many people worried about vaccination here. We do our best to educate them on how the vaccines help the body and help us stay protected from the virus. AstraZeneca has proven to be very safe for people over the age of 50. We have brochures here from the Health Department to help provide information to people. From my personal experience, both my parents back in India are under 50 and have had AstraZeneca and they haven’t had any issues. I’m worried about my family but they are doing their best to stay safe.
ALYSSA ANDREA, CAROLINE SPRINGS
I started at the vaccination hub in March. I really like it, I really do. I have worked at a lot of other jobs and for me to come back and actually want to work is a big thing for me.
I am a RUSON (Registered Undergraduate Student of Nursing) studying nursing so I’m helping everywhere. I’ve been put everywhere except for vaccinating people. Being able to help the community, that’s what I’ve always wanted to do – to give back and help the community.
My work changes everyday. I’m known for ‘hall marshalling’ where I’m up the front putting people in cubicles when the nurses are ready. I also do observations to check everyone is doing well after getting the vaccine, as well as assisting with checking them out once they’re ready to leave.
PRABHDEEP SANDHU, WYNDHAM VALE
I graduated in 2020. It’s been very full-on to start my nursing career during a pandemic. I have been working in the Melbourne Showgrounds vaccination hub for about a month. I was working at the COVID testing site, also at Melbourne Showgrounds, for about eight months. The first week I worked at the vaccination hub, it was very quiet, but since the outbreak in Victoria it’s been so busy. It’s been really good to see so many people coming through.
I try to encourage people to get vaccinated. It think it’s good for everyone – for themselves and for their families. I trust science. Vaccination is the only way we’re going to be able to stop the spread of COVID.
I am from India. I moved here in 2016 and studied nursing here in Australia.
It’s been very difficult to see what’s happening with COVID in my country. It’s not quite so bad where I’m from, in the north, but it’s still very sad.
NINA LAMA TAMANG, OAK PARK
I’m an agency nurse. I’ve worked at some different COVID testing sites and at the moment I’m at the Melbourne Showgrounds testing site. I’m working here as a swabbing nurse.
Sometimes it’s challenging because people react differently to being tested. Lots of people get teary eyes. Some people think it tickles, other people find it painful.
I think people have found the latest lockdown difficult because we don’t know when this is all going to end.
I am still studying and soon I’ll be starting my next placement in Werribee in the medical and surgical areas. I want to get into surgical nursing.
It’s been a really good opportunity to be involved in COVID testing because it’s something different to be exposed to. As a student, I’ve learnt a lot during COVID. We get updated information about the virus all the time when you are working as a swabbing nurse.
But COVID has also been difficult for students – last year my placements were cancelled.
ANDREW TESALUNA, BURNSIDE HEIGHTS
I have been a nurse since 2016 and I’ve been working at the vaccination hubs at Melbourne Showgrounds and Sunshine Hospital for the past few months.
I’m enjoying it here because I feel like I’m helping the community. It’s challenging when it gets really busy. Sometimes we need to call in interpreters so we can go through the consent process for people getting vaccinated.
I’m from the Philippines. COVID has been difficult for my family because we lost my father in 2020. He had lung cancer and I wasn’t able to fly home to be with him. He died about a month after he was diagnosed. Luckily I went home in February 2020 for my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. We didn’t know my dad was sick then, so it was a big family celebration.
