‘Dangerous’ number of unvaccinated aged care workers revealed

After hours of stonewalling, the Department of Health has finally revealed just how many vulnerable aged care workers have still not been vaccinated.

Devastating new figures have emerged confirming that less than 10 per cent of the nation’s aged care workers are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, prompting a warning that “lives are at risk”.

The Department of Health has revealed today – after hours of stonewalling in the Senate estimates – just how many vulnerable workers have still not been vaccinated.

The figures reveal for the first time that only 32,833 aged care workers have received two jabs of the vaccine.

There are more than 300,000 Australians working in the aged care sector. The new figures also confirm that 39,874 aged care workers have secured one dose.

After nearly five hours of being unable to answer the question of how many aged care workers were vaccinated, the Department provided a table to Senate estimates just after noon.

Disturbingly, the data reveals that thousands of aged care workers in Victoria are not vaccinated as the state battles a fresh outbreak that has already found its way into nursing homes via staff.

RELATED: Victorian outbreak worst this year

A resident at Arcare Maidstone Aged Care in Melbourne's west is attended to by a medical staff member after the facility went into lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

Labor’s aged care spokeswoman Clare O’Neil said the figures were shocking and devastating news.

“Greg Hunt told the public yesterday that roughly 70,000 aged care workers had been vaccinated,’’ she said.

“The truth revealed in estimates by health officials today is that number is less than half -about 32,800.

“Less than 10 per cent of the aged care workforce has not been vaccinated and yet the virus is not only at large in our general community, it is today being found within our aged care system.

“The level of deceptive incompetence of this government and the Minister responsible for aged care is utterly breathtaking.

“Their negligence in aged care is callous, cruel and dangerous.”

Ms O’Neil said it was urgent that clear vaccination targets were set by the Morrison Government.

“The government must immediately deliver a detailed plan with clear vaccine targets for the aged care workforce. This is essential. Targets ensure urgency and right now the Morrison Government displays no urgency at all,’’ she said.

“When will half the aged care workforce be vaccinated? When will three quarters be done? Targets must be set. Lives are at risk.”

The numbers were revealed after hours of stonewalling.

Earlier, Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck made a stunning admission over the bungled vaccine rollout in nursing homes, admitting he doesn’t know how many workers have got the jab.

The Tasmanian Senator turned up ill-prepared for a grilling at Senate estimates and could not provide the tally of how many aged care workers have been vaccinated or how many residents have had a second dose.

Labor Senator Katy Gallagher told Senate estimates that the Morrison Government’s handling of the rollout was a disgrace.

“How does the Commonwealth attend estimates, and are not able to tell us how many residents in aged care have had their first dose of vaccine or their second dose?’’ she said.

But Senator Colbeck said the Morrison Government has given every resident within Victoria’s aged care facilities the “opportunity” to get vaccinated and 85 per cent had taken the offer up.

“You can make your emotive statements, that’s fine. We have had a systematic protocol program to roll out the vaccine,” he said.

RELATED: Scary new way virus is spreading in Vic

A worker wearing full PPE cleans surfaces at Arcare Maidstone Aged Care in Melbourne's west after the facility went into lockdown yesterday following a COVID infection. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Andrew Henshaw

The “single worker, single site” rules have now been reactivated in Melbourne after the latest outbreak and the region was declared a hotspot. Senator Colbeck stressed however it was “not legal” to ban workers from accepting casual work at different sites and as a result incentives were being offered against the practice.

Asked if Australia was “paying the price” for the failure to vaccinate staff and residents, Senator Colbeck told the ABC he was “comfortable” with the pace of the rollout.

“It’s a huge logistical exercise,’’ he said.

“We’ve done it as quickly as we possibly could. Except for a few, all have received their first dose. The take up was about 85 per cent across the country.”

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham was also savaged over the rollout on breakfast television, with government sources confirming they were “getting smashed”.

“I do accept that it has not gone as we would have hoped,” he told ABC News Breakfast.

“There’s a 12-week wait between receiving the first dose and the second dose because the manufacturing capability in Australia had to scale up, we weren’t making a million doses a week.”

Sky News’ host Peter Stefanovic asked the Finance Minister how it had all gone wrong.

“The government promised all aged care residents and staff would be vaccinated by March this year. It’s now June. Why weren’t aged care workers prioritised?’’ he asked.

Health Minister Greg Hunt has apologised for incorrectly claiming only six aged-care facilities were yet to receive a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, conceding to Parliament the error was “my mistake”.

After a bruising day of questions over the aged care vaccine rollout for staff and residents, Mr Hunt was forced to correct claims he made during an ABC TV interview.

Mr Hunt conceded he was in error over the number of facilities waiting to be vaccinated and over how many aged care workers had been vaccinated.

“Can the minister confirm that senate estimates has today revealed 12,873 aged care residents in Victoria are still waiting for their second dose?’’ Labor’s health spokesman Mark Butler asked.

“Why then did the minister tell the 7.30 report last Thursday that the vaccination of Victorian aged care facilities was, and I quote, “99 per cent completed and would be (a) hundred tomorrow”?

In response, Mr Hunt said it was “exactly right with regards to 100 per cent of Victorian Commonwealth aged care facilities on the advice that he had reaffirmed”.

But the claim that only six facilities were yet to be completed was incorrect.

“The advice that I give is that as of last night, there were 20 to be completed. I did make an error yesterday,’’ he said.

“My mistake. My apologies. Nobody else’s fault but mine.

“The department’s advice was correct and the misreading was my fault.”

In a separate error, the Health Department also confirmed it had incorrectly conflated the columns of how many aged care workers were vaccinated to suggest 70,000 workers were fully vaccinated.

Senate estimates was told the department had conflated two columns outlining how many first and second doses had been delivered to claim a cumulative number of 70,000 people vaccinated. This error was also repeated by Mr Hunt but was based on incorrect advice.

Victoria announced a “five-day blitz” to vaccinate workers in vulnerable settings on Tuesday, confirming workers will be offered priority access to walk-in vaccination hubs around Victoria between 9am and 4pm when they present evidence of their employment.