Apr 17, 2020

Aged care staff urged to prepare for flu vaccination season

 

Staff and residents of aged care facilities across Australia are being urged to roll up their sleeves for flu vaccinations under a sweeping campaign to protect their health.

Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, said it is particularly important staff and residents of residential aged care facilities received the flu vaccination this season as the fight to combat the spread of COVID-19 continues.

“The Government has asked Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across Australia to assist in the coordination of flu vaccinations in their region,” Minister Colbeck said.

“This health emergency is unprecedented and as we edge closer to winter we want to make sure staff and residents have the protection of the flu vaccination.”

PHNs will contact all residential aged care providers by region to undertake a needs assessment and coordinate influenza vaccination programs for those services with an identified need.

The provisions may include sourcing vaccine supply and supplying qualified vaccine administrators.

“With their considerable local knowledge and on-the-ground expertise, PHNs will deliver this essential service for the benefit of aged care workers and the Senior Australians in their care,” Minister Colbeck said.

“The flu vaccination is an important way we can make sure people stay healthy and don’t end up in the emergency department which could over‑burden our hospitals during the COVID‑19 pandemic.”

The key decision-maker for health emergencies, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee recommended all residential aged care staff and visitors – including family, friends or external workers – be vaccinated by 1 May 2020.

More information about the vaccination program is available here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. It would be great if we could get supplies of under 65s vaccines so we can do our younger residents & our staff but we keep getting told by the pharmacy that we are next on the list then suddenly the delivery is redirected to another facility with no explanation or apology. At this rate it will be Christmas before we get any.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Why some nursing homes are better at protecting residents and staff from COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has posed a serious threat to the US long-term care industry. A third of all deaths have been nursing home residents or workers – in some states it’s more than half. Yet some long-term care facilities have managed to keep the virus at bay. For example, veterans’ homes in California have seen... Read More

How To Be a Standout Health Professional in the Current Aged Care Landscape

“Jonathan, there is a phone call for you” my wife called out from the kitchen. It was 9pm and Jenny, one of senior registrered nurses from the nursing home was on the line. “I think Howard’s declining quickly Jonathan, the carers have just taken him back to bed and they’ve said that he’s had trouble... Read More

Should we Consider Personality when hiring Aged Care Workers?

The Aged Care sector is a growing industry where hiring new staff now requires the employer to look beyond a candidate’s CV. In an industry where personality plays a big role, sometimes the person with the most knowledge is not necessarily the best fit for the job. In the next decade, it is estimated that... Read More
Advertisement