Vaccine jab for local aged care

Aged care residents in Drouin, Warragul and Neerim South will receive the COVID-19 vaccine from today.

Rollout of the free vaccine, that began in Victoria yesterday, is firstly being offered to people most at risk.

The initial priority groups include aged care and disability care residents and workers, frontline healthcare workers, and quarantine and border workers.

Private aged care facilities operating under the federal government are included in the current rollout.

Aged care residents in public facilities, including the West Gippsland Healthcare Group’s Andrews House and Cooinda Lodge, are expected to receive the vaccination next month.

Thirteen months since the first diagnosed COVID-19 case in Australia, the vaccine was welcomed as liquid gold by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday.

The government expects it will significantly improve Australia’s COVID management.

At Drouin’s Lyrebird Village, the majority of aged care residents have opted to receive the vaccination today.

Lyrebird Village chief executive officer Bill Baker said the “vast majority” of residents were taking the opportunity to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Staff will be vaccinated at a later date.

Mr Baker said residents and families had been well informed with a number of facts sheets, tips and letters forming part of their communications strategy.

Residents receiving the vaccination today will receive a second injection in 21 days.

Once the vaccine is rolled out, Mr Baker said they would have to consider protocols for staff and visitors who are not vaccinated.

Last year during COVID lockdowns, State Government regulations made the flu-vaccination compulsory for all staff, visitors and contractors attending aged care facilities.

However, Mr Baker said the same directive had not been received for the COVID vaccine.

Mr Baker said the federal government directive was the vaccine would be voluntary for staff.

Thousands of aged care residents in Australia, at more than 240 facilities, are among the rollout this week.

Vaccination of Gippsland health care workers and residents in state-run (public) residential aged care facilities is expected to occur early to mid-March.

Latrobe Regional Hospital will be the vaccine hub for Gippsland.

A team of nurses from the Gippsland Regional Public Health Unit based at LRH will travel to Warragul to support nurse immunisers at WGHG when the rollout occurs for Cooinda Lodge and West Gippsland Hospital health care workers.

The Pfizer vaccine was the first COVID-19 vaccine approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine also has been approved.

Two doses of the vaccine will be provided at least three weeks apart. The vaccine must be stored and transported at -70 degrees Celsius.

Senior medical advisor for the COVID-19 vaccination program Professor Ben Cowie said the vaccine was safe, effective and free – “it will help us protect everyone in the community, starting with those at highest risk.”

Federal Health and Aged Care Minister Greg Hunt said the staged approach to the rollout would ensure those who need the most protection get it first.

“Our frontline border and quarantine workers, and people living and working in residential aged and disability care facilities will be the first to receive their vaccines.

“The vaccination program will save and protect lives. Both of our vaccines will prevent serious illness. That is our primary goal,” he said.

Community members are encouraged to seek information about the vaccines and the roll out program from their doctor or credible sources including:

The Australian Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccines web page;

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance; and,

The Therapeutic Goods Administration.