Aged care homes can hold on-site vaccination clinics for staff to receive either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, depending on their age.
For aged care workers aged under 50, the government will be opening the first vaccination clinics administering the Pfizer vaccine for residential aged care and disability workers only on 3 May.
State and territory Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination clinics are also coming online.
For aged care workers aged 50 years and over, the AstraZeneca vaccine is available at GP clinics, GP respiratory clinics or Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services.
State and territory AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination clinics are also coming online.
No clear end in sight
The government has been under pressure for delays in the vaccine rollout.
A poll of members of HelloCare’s Aged Care Worker Support Group, which consists of aged care staff, found nearly 80% had not been vaccinated, or did not intend to get vaccinated.
All 678,000 high-risk workers and care residents in Phase 1a of the rollout were expected to receive their vaccinations within six weeks of the program starting. The rollout has now been underway for nine weeks and it is still unclear when all aged care staff will be vaccinated.
The actual number is likely to be far higher because it is not known how many aged care staff have been vaccinated at GP clinics.
In a separate hearing last week, the department said only about 6% of disability care residents had received their first COVID-19 vaccine, despite the department’s own advice this was one of the highest risk populations.
Are you an aged care worker who is still waiting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? Tell us in the comments below.
I Did not have my covid vaccine yet. We are rural and don’t know where to go to get it. I am under 50 years of age