The Federal Department of Health has delivered on its promise to start publishing the vaccination rates of workers at individual aged care homes in a bid to increase vaccination levels before the 17 September deadline for a mandatory first dose.
The workforce vaccination data displayed on the interactive map is from data provided by aged care providers by Wednesday, 18 August and was published on Sunday. Access it here. The data will be updated weekly.
In Cairns, Far North Queensland, Infinite Care’s Caravonica Waters and Edge Hill Orchards have fewer than 10% of their staff vaccinated. A further 20 aged care homes in Queensland only have up to a third of their workers protected with at least one dose.
There are 18 aged care facilities with worker vaccination rates below 10%. A further 25 have reported no data.
Lieutenant-General John Frewen, co-ordinator general of Operation COVID Shield, said vaccinating aged care workers is a priority and the map was a tool to work with providers to ensure the workforce gets the jab by 17 September.
“The aged care sector has been fully engaged in getting its workforce vaccinated and the taskforce will continue to work with them to achieve this end,” he said.
The Department has also released a video ‘They’re counting on us’ which encourages unvaccinated aged care workers to have a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Health Services Union NSW, which wants the NSW Government to defer the mandate order, is holding a vaccination panel tonight (Thursday).
