Government cut mandatory flu shots from aged care emergency orders before coronavirus erupted
Flu vaccinations stopped being mandatory for people attending Victorian nursing homes ten days ago — just prior to the second deadly outbreak of COVID-19 in Victoria.
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Flu vaccinations stopped being mandatory for people attending Victorian nursing homes ten days ago; just prior to deadly outbreaks of COVID-19.
The Sunday Herald Sun can reveal staff and visitors in aged-care facilities no longer need to show proof of flu immunisations.
The development has shocked the federal government, with Victoria understood to be the only state now allowing unvaccinated workers and visitors access to vulnerable residents.
“In most states and territories, entry to residential aged-care facilities is restricted to people who have had a current flu vaccination,” a spokesman for federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said yesterday.
The state government has not explained why its latest emergency order — which came into effect on July 22 — does not ban unvaccinated people, as earlier orders did.
That’s despite its own plan for coronavirus management in aged care linking flu to COVID-19 and stressing the importance of vaccinations.
“Annual influenza planning should be integrated into planning for coronavirus (COVID-19), as influenza and coronavirus might occur together,” the July 1 plan notes.
“Older Victorians who have co-existing illnesses are at increased risk of serious complications if they contract coronavirus.”
Confirming it had removed the requirement for people attending nursing homes to show evidence of flu vaccinations, the Department of Health and Human Services said only that flu cases were down this season, visitation to nursing homes was low and “almost all” aged-care workers were vaccinated anyway.
There was also a high vaccination rate among nursing home visitors, it said.
But anti-vaccination campaigners have heralded the change as a victory. “Many (unvaccinated people) have been blocked from seeing loved ones, and (staff) terminated. This should have been a recommendation to start with. The new directive has removed the mandatory nature,” said prominent Melbourne anti-vaxxer Serene Teffaha.
“This is collective action and mainly attributed to … people who are aged-care workers, emergency workers and visitors who have stood up and said ‘No’ to these mandates. It does appear that there may be now a desperation (by the state government) to have these workers come back.”
State government “care facilities direction” number eight, effective until August 16, does not prohibit unvaccinated workers or visitors on sites.
But the state government’s COVID-19 Plan for the Victorian Aged-Care Sector recommends that all nursing-home visitors and staff have flu vaccinations, to protect “residents, workforces and the wider community”.
COVID-19 OUTBREAKS IN AGED CARE FACILITIES NOW STAND AT:
St Basil’s Home for the Aged in Fawkner now has 134 active cases of coronavirus among residents, ten more than Friday, according to data released by the Department of Health.
It comes as the entire Fawkner aged care home has been cleared of residents who were reported to have arrived at hospital with fever and pneumonia from the virus.
Three more cases have also been linked to Epping Gardens Aged Care in Epping, bringing the total to 118 cases.
New coronavirus cases have been identified in other aged care facilities, including two cases linked to Uniting AgeWell in Kingsville and two linked to Twin Parks Aged Care Centre in Reservoir.
Highwood Court Aged Care in Burwood, St Vincent’s Aged Care in Eltham, Little Sisters of the Poor St Jospeh’s Home in Northcote and Doutta Galla Yarraville Village have all been linked to single cases in the past 24 hours.
• 105 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Ardeer, while 94 cases have been linked to Kirkbrae Presbyterian Homes in Kilsyth.
• 86 cases have been linked to Estia Aged Care Facility in Heidelberg.
• 63 cases have been linked to Menarock Life Aged Care Facility in Essendon.
• 60 cases have been linked to Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee.
• 56 cases have been linked to Outlook Gardens Aged Care Facility in Dandenong North.
• 54 cases have been linked to Aurrum Aged Care in Plenty.
• 53 cases have been linked to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge in Werribee.
About 100 aged care facilities across Victoria have experienced coronavirus outbreaks.
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