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Flu jab law mooted
Deaths spark move to make influenza vaccine compulsory for aged care staff .
Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the government will investigate ways to make the flu vaccine compulsory for workers in aged care facilities .
The investigation follows the deaths of seven elderly residents at St John ’ s Village in Wangaratta in Victoria and reports of fatalities from flu at Uniting AgeWell ’ s Strathdevon facility in Tasmania . Minister for Aged Care Ken Wyatt said while older people are always vulnerable to the flu , the many deaths this year are unacceptable .
Hunt said he will work with medical authorities , healthcare workers and aged care providers on how to make jabs compulsory
for those working in aged care facilities . Australia ’ s chief medical officer , professor Brendan Murphy , will spearhead the investigation .
“ We cannot continue to have a situation where people whose immunity is already low are at risk from others who may be infected ,” Hunt said .
COTA Australia backed the move . Chief executive Ian Yates said he had for some time been concerned that rates of flu vaccination among aged care staff , and even among doctors who visit facilities , were unacceptably low and inconsistent between facilities .
“ Aged care residents are especially vulnerable to the flu and all precautions must be put in place to protect them ,” Yates said . “ Vaccination is less effective among very old people , which makes them more susceptible if exposed to others with symptoms , and many residents have other health issues that make them more vulnerable .
“ Keeping flu out of aged care homes is also critical because it can spread so quickly from resident to resident .
“ Aged care providers have a legal obligation to achieve optimum physical health for care recipients and to ensure they live in a safe environment .
“ In our view , this includes ensuring that staff are not carriers of the flu virus into nursing homes .”
The health minister ’ s office said 90,000 cases of influenza have been reported this year , which is 2.5 times the amount recorded in the same period last year . ■ agedcareinsite . com . au 9