The COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Australia has begun

[Must...Fly!]

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

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1399143392995545089

And?

This might sound rude but I don't get why you wouldn't take the initiative as a healthcare worker and find a hub or clinic to get vaccinated, if work won't be able to provide you with one?

Maybe I'm missing the point? I didn't get a vaccine delivered to me at my place of work, nor was I given time off, transport, or payment to be vaccinated. As soon as I was confirmed eligible I made an appointment, and not for the nearest place either - but one further away so I could get in the next day.

 

[jakeseven7]

And?

This might sound rude but I don't get why you wouldn't take the initiative as a healthcare worker and find a hub or clinic to get vaccinated, if work won't be able to provide you with one?

Maybe I'm missing the point? I didn't get a vaccine delivered to me at my place of work, nor was I given time off, transport, or payment to be vaccinated. As soon as I was confirmed eligible I made an appointment, and not for the nearest place either - but one further away so I could get in the next day.

I'm just surprised they are allowed to work without one.... (after having the chance to get one)

 

[Flying mermaid]

In good news Victoria administered more vaccinations yesterday than the whole of Australia managed last Sunday.

 

[Lynda2475]

Unfortunately the state run publicly accessible hubs in NSW aren't open on weekends which limits weekend access to less convenient GP channel. Take up could get a huge boost by doing weekend appointments at the hubs for those who work during the week.

 

[Flying mermaid]

ACT has bowed to pressure and will be opening the Calvary vaccination hub at weekends from 7 June. Our “Health Minister” is still urging people to go to GPs not the state run facility, but clearly people aren’t listening.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

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

By way of explanation I mentioned GH in terms of which facilities the Commonwealth (National and so not just Victoria) are responsible for in terms of the vaccination program, and which facilities are the responsibility of the Victorian Government (Only facilities in Victoria = Victorian Public Sector Facilities).

There seems to have been a stark difference in the rollout of these two different branches of vaccination for Aged Care Facilities in Victoria (and presumably nationally as well). One branch has been delivered in a timely manner, and one branch not.

In Victoria the State Run Facilities completed all their first doses by 28th April. (Caveat, not data was mentioned on how many if any refused.) Their staff were also integrated into the vaccination rollout.

It is the Commonwealth section of the the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccination program., and hence GH responsibility, of the vaccination rollout that is behind schedule. The Victorian Government section of the the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccination program was delivered by a reasonable date.

28 April 2021​

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All Victorian public sector residential aged care facilities have now been visited by Victoria’s hospital vaccination hub outreach teams as part of the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccination program.​

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With more than 4,300 residents having now received the jab, it marks the practical completion of first doses for residents across 179 public sector residential aged care facilities – most in regional Victoria. Second doses are also currently underway.​

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Staff at Victorian public sector aged care facilities have also had the opportunity to be vaccinated during outreach visits. They are also able to be vaccinated at hospital vaccination hubs, high-volume centres, or through a GP.​

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Note:​

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The Victorian Government is responsible for vaccinating residents and staff in public sector residential aged care facilities as part of Phase 1a of the Commonwealth’s program.​

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The Commonwealth is responsible for vaccinations at private aged care and disability care facilities. Eligible 1b aged care and disability care staff and residents are also able to book an appointment at state-run vaccination centres.​

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All Public Sector Aged Care Facilities Visited For Vaccine | Premier of Victoria

All Victorian public sector residential aged care facilities have now been visited by Victoria’s hospital vaccination hub outreach teams as part of the Commonwealth’s COVID-19 vaccination program. With more than 4,300 residents having now received the jab, it marks the practical completion of...

www.premier.vic.gov.au

​

 

[Lynda2475]

but clearly people aren’t listening

No Id say clearly the under 65s (working age) prefer the convenience of hubs where you can book online.

The AMA are the ones pushing for GPs, it not want the majority of the younger cohort want.

 

[Batterytraveller]

And?

This might sound rude but I don't get why you wouldn't take the initiative as a healthcare worker and find a hub or clinic to get vaccinated, if work won't be able to provide you with one?

Maybe I'm missing the point? I didn't get a vaccine delivered to me at my place of work, nor was I given time off, transport, or payment to be vaccinated. As soon as I was confirmed eligible I made an appointment, and not for the nearest place either - but one further away so I could get in the next day.

The point was that is a terribly written and difficult to understand instruction. It took me a couple of goes to work out what they intended. A work instruction should be simple, clear and unambiguous and that notice is none of those.

If you don't get vaccinated at your workplace, you have to get vaccinated on your own time, unpaid. We already know that aged care is low paid, with people working across multiple jobs and add in family and other responsibilities you can see how even the best intentioned aged care worker might put off getting vaccinated till it's convenient. Especially when you have the government from the prime minster down saying its not important. It's very easy to imagine someone taking a hit to weekly earnings by spending half a day driving to get vaccinated.

In my experience if you want to get people to do something, no matter how important it is, you have to make it as easy as possible to get it done. And if it's a work requirement, pay people for their time to get it done.

 

[Lynda2475]

The thing is over 50% of the Residential Aged Care facilities in Vic are Private (for profit), only about 10% are government.

 

[Flying mermaid]

No Id say clearly the under 65s (working age) prefer the convenience of hubs where you can book online.

The AMA are the ones pushing for GPs, it not want the majority of the younger cohort want.

The respiratory centre (which is GP) has a very easy online booking system - arguably much better than the ACT hub’s one, which was only recently introduced and still doesn’t work properly. Most people I have talked to have ended up phoning to book. When we were vaccinated at the Garran hub in late April phoning was the only option.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Unfortunately the state run publicly accessible hubs in NSW aren't open on weekends which limits weekend access to less convenient GP channel. Take up could get a huge boost by doing weekend appointments at the hubs for those who work during the week.

I don’t know about the others but Olympic Park in NSW is most certainly open on a Saturday.
In fact it’s so popular many of them are booked out.

 

[Lynda2475]

n fact it’s so popular many of them are booked out.

Which is why they also need to open on Sundays.

Interesting when I got my invite for Olympic Park, I couldn't pick any Saturdays (no matter how far in future) as that would have been preferred rather than missing work, so maybe they are being reserved for certain categories.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Ok., I found some stats on Aged Care Residents (Note you need to also add in those in Disability Care. So numbers to be vaccinated will be higher in this category). And yes was of as last June and so actual numbers will be different. However it is not really surprising that numbers in residential age care are pretty much pro-rat with each jurisdication's population.

People using aged care - AIHW Gen

Australia’s aged care system offers a variety of services which cater to the needs of diverse populations. This topic explores the age, sex, location, and backgrounds of people using aged care.

www.gen-agedcaredata.gov.au

Number of people using aged care services by ACPR, 30 June 2020

In Residential Care

View attachment 249012

I also just read in a Vic DHHS Report published on 6 Nov 2020: There are approximately 50,000 aged care beds in Victoria

Which lines up with the Federal figures above for people in residential aged care.

 

[dajop]

The thing is over 50% of the Residential Aged Care facilities in Vic are Private (for profit), only about 10% are government.

View attachment 249257

So responsibility for oversight of 90% of the aged care places (and vaccination of the residents occupying those places) does not lie with the state government of VIC, and in NSW that 90% is actually 99%!

 

[lovetravellingoz]

So responsibility for oversight of 90% of the aged care places (and vaccination of the residents occupying those places) does not lie with the state government of VIC, and in NSW that 90% is actually 99%!

And in Vic the State administered rollout was completed by 28th April and in the main also included staff being done.

Fed rollout has been slower and in the main staff only were vaccinated at the facilities if there were "leftovers". So reliant on staff booking themselves in and also getting vaccinated in their own time.

Plus with the Fed aged care rollout the rollout has not been evenly delivered in jurisdictions throughout Australia. Vic and SA tended to be built over time, with Vic being attended to in the Fed rollout mainly late in the piece. Qld was started quickly, and then slowed and NSW has had consistent numbers throughout.

 

[Lynda2475]

So responsibility for oversight of 90% of the aged care places (and vaccination of the residents occupying those places) does not lie with the state government of VIC, and in NSW that 90% is actually 99%!

Reinforcing a life goal to never end up in aged care!

 

[JB expat]

Qantas vaccine incentives: CEO Alan Joyce reveals 'mega-prize' for vaccinated passengers

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has revealed details of his airline's plan to reward passengers for getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

www.traveller.com.au

and "Mr Joyce said he hoped that by July or August the airline would have some certainty from the federal government on when international borders would reopen."

 

[burmans]

And?

This might sound rude but I don't get why you wouldn't take the initiative as a healthcare worker and find a hub or clinic to get vaccinated, if work won't be able to provide you with one?

Maybe I'm missing the point? I didn't get a vaccine delivered to me at my place of work, nor was I given time off, transport, or payment to be vaccinated. As soon as I was confirmed eligible I made an appointment, and not for the nearest place either - but one further away so I could get in the next day.

For most of us getting vaccinated is mainly about the individual, so yes clearly an individual responsibility. But for those who work with those in the higher risk brackets its more about protecting these others which is where it become an employers duty of care to ensure (in this case) that their residents have their risk of getting coronavirus minimised by ensuring the workers are vaccinated. There is in my view very little difference between aged care workers and health workers in this regard.

 

[burmans]

The thing is over 50% of the Residential Aged Care facilities in Vic are Private (for profit), only about 10% are government.

The federal government is still 100% responsible for governance of the sector though (not that they always seem to remember that).

 

[Lynda2475]

The federal government is still 100% responsible for governance of the sector though (not that they always seem to remember that).

I wasnt disputing that, just pointing out that actions Vic govt took only benefit 10% of residential aged care.

But it was well known from Feb that workers were to make their own vaccine bookings so some personal responsibility has to apply. Other health workers werent paid to get vaccinations during work hours, many nurses had to find time off shift and did.