Booster rollout ‘failure’ left Jeta Gardens residents ‘sitting ducks’
The booster program at a nursing home where 15 people have died was fast tracked but only after people started becoming gravely ill with Covid-19, it can be revealed. WATCH THE VIDEO
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The vaccination rollout at an embattled nursing home south of Brisbane has come under fire after revelations the booster program was fast tracked after people started becoming gravely ill with Covid-19.
Queensland Senator Murray Watt told Federal Parliament’s Question Time it was a disgrace that residents at Jeta Gardens nursing home, south of Brisbane, were still not fully vaccinated a month after a lethal Covid outbreak on December 31.
He was speaking out after Aged Care Minister Senator Richard Colbeck said the nursing home residents could have gone out and got their own vaccinations at a GP or a pharmacy and after staff claims the facility had run out of protective masks.
Fifteen people have died at the home since the outbreak with 100 residents and 82 staff testing positive and a federal government “surge workforce” sent in last week.
Senator Watt said it was unbelievable that priority aged care residents at the complex were not fully vaccinated before Christmas, when there was always a high volume of visitors.
“It’s unbelievable that residents were not boosted for a month after the outbreak began,” he said.
“This failure meant residents were sitting ducks as Covid-19 ripped through Jeta Gardens after Christmas when visitors would have been at a peak.
“It’s out of touch to think that these frail, elderly residents could pop out and get their own booster at a GP or line up at a pharmacy.”
Senator Colbeck responded and said the booster clinic at Jeta Gardens had been fast tracked and brought forward to January 31.
He said the elderly residents had the option of getting their own vaccinations done instead of waiting for the clinic to come to the nursing home.
“There are a number of other methods through which aged care residents can get a booster shot,” Senator Colbeck said.
“They can get a GP or pharmacist to come and do it. They can attend a GP clinic.
“Aside from that, the facility can run its own clinic and we will pay for the cost of that.”
Senator Colbeck said the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission had done its job and had worked well with Jeta Gardens to bring the facility back to compliance.
Jeta Gardens appointed an adviser on Friday after regulatory action was taken.
A spokeswoman for the Logan nursing home said there had been no new cases of Covid-19 at Jeta Gardens since January 29 and only three staff were still off sick.
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