Victoria’s Department of Health has notified all residential aged care providers that all workers, volunteers and students on placement must have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by September 16.
On average, as of August 26, only eight in 10 of aged care workers in Campaspe shire’s 11 residential aged care homes had received their first COVID-19 vaccination dose.
The average was reduced significantly as a result of Kyabram's Sheridan facility in Fenaughty Street reporting a vaccination rate of just 40 to 49 per cent last week.
Echuca's Community for the Aged facility, Wharparilla Lodge, which reported a false positive case in a staff member late last week, had a vaccination rate of 50 to 59 per cent.
The figures were revealed only days ago on the Australian Government’s Department of Health website, dedicated to reporting on the weekly vaccination levels of residential aged care workers in Australia.
Sheridan, operated by Kyabram Health, had the lowest rate of vaccination – according to the government website – with less than half of its staff having had at least one of their COVID-19 shots.
The government initiative is part of a new push to drive up immunisation rates and stop the spread of COVID-19 in aged care settings.
Campaspe shire’s 11 aged care facilities have an average vaccination rate of between 70 to 79 per cent, but there is almost a 50 per cent gap between the best and worst performing home in the shire.
Glanville Village in Service Street and Bupa Echuca in Fehring Lane have a 90 to 100 per cent vaccination rate, more than double that of the Kyabram facility.
Rochester and District Hotel had a vaccination rate of 60 to 69 per cent with its staff members as at August 23.
Across the border, at Menarock Life in Moama, the residential aged care facility had a staff vaccination rate of 70 to 79 per cent on August 24. Southern Cross Care at Moama’s vaccination rate is 80 to 89 per cent.
The figures suggest vast differences between the vaccination rates among workers in the Campaspe facilities, placing more pressure on aged care home operators to ensure staff and residents are protected.
Figures on the site last week suggested 40 per cent of aged care workers, or some 110,000 people, had not received their first vaccination dose.
New South Wales is also making vaccines mandatory for all state health workers, following in the footsteps of Qantas and SPC.
