Logan set to take on Brisbane school vaccination program

Logan council is poised to take over an immunisation program which Brisbane City Council claimed was too costly to deliver.

Logan has been delivering a school immunisation program for many years and plans to continue next year.

Logan City Council is poised to take over an immunisation program which Brisbane City Council claimed too costly to deliver.

Under a special deal, Logan council said it would consider providing immunisation to Brisbane school students south of the river in years 7 and 10.

Council’s acting CEO Silvio Trinca will discuss terms of the deal with Metro South Health this year ahead of the council’s current School Immunisation Program contract ending on December 31, next year.

Although Queensland Health provides funding for the Brisbane program, delivered in 111 high schools, it was still costing Brisbane council at least $500,000 a year.

Logan City Council did not release the funding figures.

If the deal goes ahead, Logan will provide vaccinations for human papilloma virus, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and meningococcal to southside Brisbane schools as well as the 45 Logan and Redland schools it already services.

Council on Tuesday debated delivering the service in a meeting closed to the public with two councillors not voting in favour of the move.

Metro South Health asked Logan to take on the role in November after Brisbane council pulled out, claiming Queensland Health failed to cover its costs to deliver immunisation at the 111 schools on both the north and south of Brisbane.

Last month Brisbane’s City Standards, Community Health and Safety Chair Kim Marx said the service left Brisbane ratepayers footing a significant funding shortfall.

“We want Brisbane residents to stay healthy and safe but ratepayers are unable to continue subsidising the cost of more than 44,000 annual vaccines, while the school immunisation service is largely managed by Queensland Health in other parts of the state,” she said.

“Brisbane ratepayers have been subsidising the service for more than 100 secondary schools despite council routinely requesting additional funding from Queensland Health to cover the costs.”

A report to Logan council on Tuesday said there was the chance to test run delivering the service at southside Brisbane schools next year before taking on a longer contract.

“There may also be an opportunity to negotiate with Metro South Health to develop a contract for 2021 which provides options for Logan City Council to continue delivery in 2022 and beyond.”

The Logan council report also said Logan would have to employ up to four new administration staff along with extra immunisation nurses.

Logan currently employs 21 nurses on agency contracts and Brisbane employed 13 casual employees, including five permanent staff, six permanent flexible part-timers and four temporary workers.

Discussions are ongoing about the possibility of Brisbane council staff transferring to Queensland Health at the end of the school program.

Logan would also have to get two new vehicles to take staff and immunisation to schools.

The council was told there was a “high degree” of confidence in the projected revenue and expenses which were calculated using council’s current contract rate and student figures from this year.

But Logan Ratepayers Association president Rod Shaw said he wanted a guarantee the Brisbane service would not be an added burden on Logan ratepayers.

“The costings for the provision of this service should be made public so ratepayers know in advance how much they are paying to vaccinate Brisbane residents,” he said.

“If Brisbane City Council said the program was unsustainable, we would like to know what makes Logan any different?”