news
Return jab
Sector reacts to aged care providers being
told they must offer flu vaccine.
By Dallas Bastian
I
t will soon be mandatory for every Australian residential aged
care provider to offer influenza vaccination to all staff.
The move was announced recently by Health Minister Greg
Hunt and Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt.
It coincided with the release of a national survey of 2609 homes
that found 43 per cent reported at least one influenza outbreak in
the previous year.
Last winter, aged care homes with only a quarter of their staff
vaccinated had a 25 per cent higher rate of flu outbreaks than
those with 75 per cent or more of their staff vaccinated, Wyatt said,
adding this is why stronger action is being taken.
The minister also pointed to an Australian Aged Care Quality
Agency review of two aged care homes in Victoria and Tasmania,
where 18 people died.
“Alarmingly, in these two locations, well under half of the staff
had been vaccinated,” Wyatt said. “Infection control was further
compromised as dozens of staff were struck down with the flu,
compounding a deadly situation.”
The survey further revealed that only 3.5 per cent of homes had
the recommended staff coverage of 95 per cent or higher to gain
herd immunity. Just over a third had the recommended resident
coverage of 95 per cent or higher.
It also found that homes providing in-house staff vaccination
programs had higher coverage than those who only encouraged
staff to go to an external immunisation provider.
COTA Australia welcomed the announcement as an
evidence-based way of improving protection from seasonal
influenza for older Australians living in residential aged
care facilities.
“It is essential that staff vaccination rates be brought up to best
practice levels rapidly, as staff have the most contact with nursing
home residents and the vaccination is highly effective among
staff, whereas its effectiveness declines among very old people,
with most nursing home residents in their late 80s and 90s,”
chief executive Ian Yates said.
The seniors’ advocacy group called on all nursing home
staff to take up the offer to be vaccinated and urged the
Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation, the Health Services
Union and United Voice to encourage and support members
to do so.
Yates said: “We also call on all people who enter aged care
facilities, including family members and visitors, to be vaccinated
for the protection of all residents, including their loved ones.”
Aged & Community Services Australia chief executive Pat
Sparrow said while the measures recognise how deadly and
devastating the flu can be among older Australians particularly
vulnerable to its spread, those in aged care should remain vigilant.
“Vaccination alone does not prevent the spread of infectious
diseases, and other prevention measures are impo rtant.
“Common sense plays a part, and in the context of a close
community environment such as a residential aged care
facility, the most important thing is to stay away from a facility
if you are unwell – something that applies to families, visitors,
staff and anyone else who may come into close contact
with residents.”
ACSA also urged that consideration be given to the
circumstances of those individuals unable to be vaccinated
for medical or cultural reasons, including the workforce
implications for unvaccinated aged care workers.
“There is more detail to be worked through about the
practicalities of administering this nationally, but overall we
welcome this announcement for the boosted protection it
will provide older Australians and their families,”
Sparrow said.
The peak body also voiced its concern that the government
has imposed a further layer of compliance without consideration
to the financial realities of many providers.
Leading Age Services Australia chief executive Sean Rooney
said mandatory provision of influenza vaccination will be an
important tool in a mix of measures to control an influenza
outbreak and lower the risk of infection.
“It is critically important that our entire community does
everything possible to prevent the spread of influenza in order to
safeguard older Australians.
“Infectious diseases like influenza can take hold and spread
quickly in locations where people are housed together,”
Rooney said.
“Many older Australians are vulnerable to illness and
complications, and as a result, infections such as influenza
can be life-threatening for some people living in aged
care homes.” ■
agedcareinsite.com.au
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