Morrison government does not know how many elderly care workers have been vaccinated

Blurred images for privacy reasons indicate that Arcare Maidstone residents moved out of the facility on Monday afternoon after a positive Covid-19 test.

The center is One of several in Melbourne exposed to the virus.. Workers there tested positive on Sunday. It is unknown where he was infected with the virus.

On Monday, another worker in the same nursing home tested positive with a resident, along with an asymptomatic woman in her 90s who was transferred to the hospital. Workers working in the other three geriatric care facilities also tested positive on Monday.

Meanwhile, pressure on the federal government has increased after it became clear that authorities did not know how many elderly care staff were vaccinated.

Victoria is pushing the state into a seven-day blockade and is fighting to control the outbreak of the coronavirus. Infiltrate Arcare Maidstone’s geriatric care facilityThe Morrison government asked why elderly care workers and residents have not yet been fully vaccinated.

The federal government initially proposed that elderly care workers be vaccinated within six weeks of the launch on February 22nd.

However, after 3 months and more than 4 million doses, many in this group have not even received the first dose.

As part of Phase 1a, both workers and elderly care residents are listed as priority groups, and authorities estimate that about 1.4 million doses will be required to vaccinate this group. ..

In fact, the exact number of vaccinated elderly care workers is unknown even to the federal government.

According to the report, it is estimated that approximately 366,000 people work in housing and communities, including 240,000 direct care workers. 2016 figures..

Elderly care minister Richard Colbeck told ABC’s RN breakfast show this morning that just under 40,000 employees had been vaccinated with both vaccines.

However, he said the figures only included workers who received jabs from the remaining doses given to elderly caregivers.

“We don’t have integrated data,” he admitted.

Part of the reason why more accurate numbers are not available is due to the miscellaneous reasons why workers are vaccinated.

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The federal government initially planned to vaccinate workers through an in-reach team dispatched to the facility, separate from the team dispatched to vaccinate the population.

However, this was changed by the advice that staff and residents should not be vaccinated at the same time, as there is a risk of staff shortages due to possible minor side effects after vaccination.

Changes to the AstraZeneca vaccine guidelines (not given to people under the age of 50) have also helped.

The team in Reach, run by a private contractor, was barely available to staff as they were told to prioritize vaccination of residents first.

Instead, workers were advised to be vaccinated in several different ways: GPs for those over 50, state vaccination hubs (also provided by Pfizer), federal respiratory clinics, Alternatively, we run our own vaccination clinic.

The government has also promised to set up a pop-up vaccination hub dedicated to senior care workers, the location of which will be announced in April, but currently only three are in operation, all of which are in operation. Located in Sydney.

Mr Colbeck said the government has requested elderly care providers to provide staff with information about Covid-19 vaccination, along with influenza vaccination data, to reduce the cost burden on the facility.

“We have a variety of options available to our staff, and we ask elderly care providers who hold the data to report that information to us,” Colbeck said.

“At this point, it’s not integrated.”

Sean Rooney, Chief Executive Officer of Leading Age Services Australia, said: Parents The sector had asked the government for data on staff vaccinations, but was told that it was not yet ready for publication.

“Honestly, we don’t know how many workers are vaccinated because the government hasn’t recorded vaccinations. We asked them for it, and they said,” It’s in progress. It’s work, “says Rooney.

Bill Shorten, a Labor Party government services spokesman, said he was talking to a family member who loved his family at the Arcea Maidstone facility in Victoria. He described the situation as “painful.”

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“I think the geriatric care facility is doing its best, but it’s shameful that residents, geriatric care workers, and people with severe disabilities and disabled workers have not yet been vaccinated. “Schoten said. today..

“Literally, this year’s federal job is one. It’s getting that vaccination, and it’s good if they can help them perform better quarantine services.

“But let’s vaccinate everyone. People’s anxiety is shocking.”

The government is defending the pace of deployment, and Mr Colbeck said, “We are happy with where we are.”

“Everyone wanted to do it faster, but logically it did it as soon as possible.

“And, with the exception of some in some states, all facilities are receiving the first dose, and most (70 percent odd) are receiving the second dose.”

The government states that more than 99% of Australia’s geriatric care facilities and 100% of Victoria’s residents have access to the Covid-19 vaccine.

Around the country, about 85% of residents chose to get jabs and were taking their first dose.

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