The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[Must...Fly!]

I cannot see how it would be unreasonable to insist that people who work with vulnerable people, have the required checks and vaccinations.

Neither can I. My point was more that these people have had months to be vaccinated and have chosen not to. Either that is due to lack of incentive (or disincentive of losing your job) or they just didn't want to. Either way they probably need to be forced to be vaccinated or shown the door.

 

[Pushka]

Time for them to find a new job

Well, apparently not it seems. I'd hope they'd get rotated. OFF. I do know one was a Police Officer. The rest - cleaning staff etc etc.

 

[dajop]

My partners grandmothers aged care home (not to far from the facility where the positive case worked) , as well as at least one other home have also gone into lockdown mode. They had staff who worked at the other home at the same time as the worker who tested positive.

She’s had 2 doses - but not all residents have - but an important point is that there’s constant turnover in this homes as residents pass away and new residents enter so it is entirely feasible in addition to those refusing vaccination, new residents have also not been vaccinated yet.

 

[Pushka]

My partners grandmothers aged care home (not to far from the facility where the positive case worked) , as well as at least one other home have also gone into lockdown mode. They had staff who worked at the other home at the same time as the worker who tested positive.

She’s had 2 doses - but not all residents have - but an important point is that there’s constant turnover in this homes as residents pass away and new residents enter so it is entirely feasible in addition to those refusing vaccination, new residents have also not been vaccinated yet.

With that rotation then we need to get better at managing that and not resort to closing down all the time.

 

[jakeseven7]

My partners grandmothers aged care home (not to far from the facility where the positive case worked) , as well as at least one other home have also gone into lockdown mode. They had staff who worked at the other home at the same time as the worker who tested positive.

She’s had 2 doses - but not all residents have - but an important point is that there’s constant turnover in this homes as residents pass away and new residents enter so it is entirely feasible in addition to those refusing vaccination, new residents have also not been vaccinated yet.

There was a report in the Sydney herald about nursing home residents in Sydney and Brisbane also refusing the vaccine.... I mean what the...

 

[Pushka]

There was a report in the Sydney herald about nursing home residents in Sydney and Brisbane also refusing the vaccine.... I mean what the...

They are within their rights to refuse but not to stop other vaccinated residents from enjoying their normal peaceful lives and visits from family.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Today's vaccinations.

Normally Saturday is a quiet day for the GP Channel, but busy this time with over half the doses and especially in Vic and NSW.

Aged Care it looks like they were just adjusting their tallies.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It appears that about 1 in 6 aged care residents may elect to not get vaccinated (Note that this has not be specifically stated).

Greg Hunt urges aged care residents to consent to vaccination​

Health Minister Greg Hunt says the federal government wants as many aged care residents as possible to consent to vaccination. “We have seen 85 per cent of residents in residential aged care facilities, and 100 per cent of Victorian residential facilities, vaccinated so far,” he said​

​

Greg Hunt urges aged care residents to consent to vaccination

Health Minister Greg Hunt says the federal government wants as many aged care residents as possible to consent to vaccination. “We have seen 85 per cent of residents in residential aged care facilities, and 100 per cent of Victorian residential facilities, vaccinated so far,” he said. “But we...

www.news.com.au

 

[Pushka]

At last on Channel 9 tonight on Celebrity Apprentice there has been a positive advertisement for vaccination. “This is our shot”. For travel. Work. Normal life. Reuniting with family. And produced by - Channel 9.

 

[JB expat]

At last on Channel 9 tonight on Celebrity Apprentice there has been a positive advertisement for vaccination. “This is our shot”. For travel. Work. Normal life. Reuniting with family. And produced by - Channel 9.

Agree with this - but it is missing a dose of reality which is even with Aus reaching herd immunity, there will still be incidences of COVID. To live with COVID normal requires herd immunity plus a level of acceptance that COVID will be out there - hopefully with much lower hospitalisation rates, even lower death rates and slower spread all of which should mean that we live with a very flat curve and hospitals can handle the cases and the contact tracers can stay on top of things without shut downs. If all of the foregoing is not accepted, and this idea of COVID ZERO instead of COVID Normal wins out - Australia will end up being a very isolated place to be.

 

[Pushka]

Agree with this - but it is missing a dose of reality which is even with Aus reaching herd immunity, there will still be incidences of COVID. To live with COVID normal requires herd immunity plus a level of acceptance that COVID will be out there - hopefully with much lower hospitalisation rates, even lower death rates and slower spread all of which should mean that we live with a very flat curve and hospitals can handle the cases and the contact tracers can stay on top of things without shut downs. If all of the foregoing is not accepted, and this idea of COVID ZERO instead of COVID Normal wins out - Australia will end up being a very isolated place to be.

Sure. Agree with that too. But we can’t even get to that reality until the vaccination programme is well advanced. I loathe this fascination with zeros and the negative reactions on SA Health FB even if there is a positive in the med hotels is simply pathetic.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

An update by The Age on Arcare Maidstone.

With the worker having had their first dose on 12th May, hopefully their viral load will be to low to transmit easily.

Some key extracts are below.

Aged care residents set for jab after staffer’s ‘mystery’ case​

Residents and staff at a Melbourne aged care facility will be encouraged to accept a dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday after a staff member at the centre tested positive to COVID-19.

The infection of the staff member of the Arcare home in Maidstone came even though the woman had been given her first vaccine shot on May 12. Most of the residents were given their first dose at the same time, but some refused to be inoculated.

......

Arcare chief executive Colin Singh said that staff members and residents at Maidstone who had yet to get the vaccine will be offered the Pfizer dose on Monday.

“All team members and clients will be offered the Pfizer dose tomorrow (first or second as depending on the situation). The Department of Health is strongly encouraging the uptake of this vaccine.”

.......


Arcare confirmed nursing federation figures that about 34 of the 110 eligible staff at Arcare Maidstone had received a first vaccination, including the worker with COVID-19, and that 53 of the residents had received their first vaccination dose.

Coronavirus Victoria:

Some residents at a Melbourne aged care facility will get their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Monday after a staff member tested positive to COVID-19.

www.theage.com.au

 

[Lynda2475]

Maybe Im missing something, but how is the urgent vaccination tomorrow going to protect any of the residents that have already been exposed? The vaccine takes about 3 weeks to generate antinbodies, but the incubation period is under 14 days. Im all for those people getting vaccinated, but dont they need to be confident they dont already have covid before rushing their next dose?

 

[burmans]

Maybe Im missing something, but how is the urgent vaccination tomorrow going to protect any of the residents that have already been exposed? The vaccine takes about 3 weeks to generate antinbodies, but the incubation period is under 14 days. Im all for those people getting vaccinated, but dont they need to be confident they dont already have covid before rushing their next dose?

It’s not but you know people, they love to show they are doing something.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It’s not but you know people, they love to show they are doing something.

Yes it is more about someone rushing to do, what they should already have encouraged/done.

Question now is what is GH going to do about all the other staff nationally who remain unvaccinated, and what steps will be taken to encourage as many as possible of the residents nationally who have to yet not vaccinated to do so.

And for that matter all the other older Australian's who are not in residential aged care who have also chosen so far to not get vaccinated.

 

[jakeseven7]

Yes it is more about someone rushing to do, what they should already have encouraged/done.

Question now is what is GH going to do about all the other staff nationally who remain unvaccinated, and what steps will be taken to encourage as many as possible of the residents nationally who have to yet not vaccinated to do so.

And for that matter all the other older Australian's who are not in residential aged care who have also chosen so far to not get vaccinated.

It’s a disgrace that the Feds still haven’t done all of the staff. Residents - fine, if they’ve had the chance and say no well that’s on them and good luck to them. But staff....

 

[Pushka]

Maybe Im missing something, but how is the urgent vaccination tomorrow going to protect any of the residents that have already been exposed? The vaccine takes about 3 weeks to generate antinbodies, but the incubation period is under 14 days. Im all for those people getting vaccinated, but dont they need to be confident they dont already have covid before rushing their next dose?

I’d expect they have been tested again. And if this outbreak goes longer than hoped for then yes it will make a difference.

 

[OATEK]

Yes it is more about someone rushing to do, what they should already have encouraged/done.

Question now is what is GH going to do about all the other staff nationally who remain unvaccinated, and what steps will be taken to encourage as many as possible of the residents nationally who have to yet not vaccinated to do so.

And for that matter all the other older Australian's who are not in residential aged care who have also chosen so far to not get vaccinated.

I think you will find that many of the medical and care staff come under state registration, so not just a GH responsibility.

 

[Batterytraveller]

Anyone wondering why aged care workers haven’t been fully vaccinated should try parsing this government instruction

https://twitter.com/x/status/1399143392995545089

 

[Flying mermaid]

Part of the issue of course is that the aged care rollout is subcontracted, presumably on a fixed price basis so no skin off their nose if people don’t take it up……..