Federal Govt delivers just 9,900 COVID-19 vaccinations to Qld aged care residents so far

The Federal Government has only vaccinated a “small proportion” of Queensland’s aged care workforce despite the rollout beginning more than three weeks ago.

The Federal Government has vaccinated just a quarter of Queensland’s 37,100 aged care residents against COVID-19 and is yet to begin the formal rollout to the state’s nursing home workforce.

Figures obtained by The Courier-Mail show the Federal Health Department has administered about 9,900 COVID-19 shots in more than three weeks to people in 84 Queensland aged care and disability accommodation facilities.

“While the residents are the current focus, this includes a small proportion of workers eligible to receive a vaccination where there are excess doses following the vaccination of all consenting residents at on-site clinics,” the department said.

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Cairns Hospital Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander liaison officer for the infection prevention service, Valerie Nancarrow, after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Photo: Brendan Radke.

Queensland has 48,100 aged care workers entitled to a COVID-19 shot under the Morrison Government’s priority Phase 1a of Australia’s rollout.

“The formal rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations for aged care workers will be commencing shortly,” the Federal Health Department said.

The department’s vaccination rollout got off to a bad start when a doctor working for its Queensland provider Healthcare Australia gave two elderly nursing home residents four times the recommended dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

The Federal Government is responsible for 60 per cent of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout and Queensland Health 40 per cent.

Data obtained from the Queensland Health website shows the Palaszczuk Government had given 21,860 COVID-19 vaccine shots since the first one on February 22.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath at the Gold Coast University Hospital. Photo: Steve Holland.

Queensland Health’s responsibilities include vaccinating frontline health staff and hotel quarantine workers.

State Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said her department expected to have all of the 37,000 workers its responsible for in the priority Phase 1A rollout completed in a fortnight.

The Federal Government is due to start supplying COVID-19 vaccines to more than 1000 general practice clinics across Australia from next week.