Senior Australians in residential aged care are leading the national uptake of boosters, with 80.56% of those eligible for their third vaccine shot now having received it, Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt announced today.
The Minister said in-reach booster clinics had reached all 2,541 facilities across Australia, with the program completed ahead of the original schedule.
He said the booster vaccination rate for aged care residents was well ahead of the national community figure of 55.43%.
“We want to continue to provide increased protection for senior Australians and are returning to residential aged care facilities to provide another opportunity for both residents and workers to get their booster dose,” Minister Hunt said.
“While all facilities have now had a booster clinic, 19 per cent of eligible residents have not yet received their booster dose, and 10 per cent of all residents are yet to complete their first and second doses. This is a concern.
“We are committed to supporting our senior Australians and those who care for them in aged care facilities to get protected through vaccination.”
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck said it was critical for residents and workers at each residential aged care service to be strongly encouraged and supported to receive their COVID-19 booster dose.
“All residential aged care providers not actively arranging booster doses for remaining eligible residents must do so as soon as possible,” Minister Colbeck said.
He said the options available for booster doses, and first or second doses as required, include primary care providers, including visiting GPs and pharmacists, self-vaccination clinics or Commonwealth return clinics.
To support on-site self-vaccination clinics for residents and workers, the Commonwealth today opened a Request for Tender for residential aged care providers, recognising the capability and capacity of many aged care providers to conduct safe and efficient vaccination programs.
Minister Hunt said self-vaccination clinics also enabled residential aged care providers to offer flexibility to residents and workers, without having to schedule clinics with an external vaccine provider.
Facility management can register now for a Commonwealth return booster clinic where at least 10% of residents at the facility require a COVID-19 vaccine dose (first, second or third/booster) and that this equates to 10 or more residents.
“Facilities which do not meet this threshold are encouraged to engage with primary care providers in the first instance to deliver required boosters. Where this is not possible, the Commonwealth will offer an in-reach booster clinic,” the Minister said.
“All returning clinics will offer booster doses to all eligible residents and workers.”
Those facilities requiring a first, second, or third dose for people who are severely immunocompromised, can also receive these doses at the return booster clinics, he said.
Dedicated worker vaccination hubs are also set to come online, with those states and territories that have now mandated booster vaccinations for residential aged care being a priority, the Minister said.
