Shocking Qld aged care worker vaccination rates revealed

Some Queensland nursing homes face losing up to 90 per cent of its staff in just a few weeks as figures reveal the centres with the lowest vaccinations rates. LIST OF AGED CARE CENTRES AND EVERY QLD SUBURB

Some Queensland nursing homes have fewer than 10 per cent of their staff vaccinated against Covid-19, as just weeks remain for aged care workers to get the jab or lose their jobs.

It is revealed in shocking new data to be released by the Health Department on Monday, detailing the vaccination rate of every aged care facility in the country.

Cairns, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast are shown to have the worst vaccination rates of aged care staff in the state, but there are outliers across Queensland including within Brisbane, analysis of the data shows.

Operation Covid Shield boss Lieutenant-General John Frewen is promising to fast-track the aged care worker vaccination program. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

It leaves centres across the state at risk facing major staffing shortages when the September 17 deadline for mandatory vaccination in the aged care sector is reached.

Two Cairns facilities have fewer than 10 per cent of their staff immunised, while 10 more facilities across the state have fewer than 20 per cent vaccinated, while a further 20 nursing homes only have up to a third of their workers protected with at least one dose.

The data is accurate as of August 17.

Operation Covid Shield boss Lieutenant-General John Frewen has promised to fast-track the vaccination program to ensure aged care workers receive a vaccine before then, including the department working with individual providers and offers on onsite jabs.

“Vaccination of aged care workers is a priority for government and this will be an effective tool in working with aged care providers to ensure the residential aged care workforce gets a jab by the middle of September,” he said.

“The aged care sector has been fully engaged in getting its workforce vaccinated and the taskforce will continue to work with them to achieve this end”.

Staffing levels at some nursing homes are at risk due to low vaccination rates.

The federal Health Department will release an interactive map on its website on Monday with details for every facility and will be updated weekly with the data that providers report through the My Aged Care portal.

Caravonica Waters and Edgehill Orchards Residential Aged Care Facility in the Cairns region were recorded as having less than 10 per cent of staff vaccinated.

Whiddon Beaudesert Star, Blue Care Lawnton Pine Woods, Regis Kuluin in Maroochy, Arcare Taigum and Bolton Clarke Centaur Residential Aged Care Facility, Caloundra are among those with 10-19 per cent staff immunisation rates.

Bupa’s Tugun facility, Churches of Christ Care Lady Small Haven Aged Care Service at Benowa and TriCare Cypress Gardens Aged Care Residence at Clear Island Waters were among those with the lowest rates on the Gold Coast.

Labor has been critical of the aged care vaccine rollout, with Opposition health spokesman Mark Butler saying on Friday the Morrison Government had promised the sectors’ workers would be immunised by Easter.

“Scott Morrison has failed aged care and his failures are having truly tragic consequences for older Australians,” he said.

Originally published as Shocking Qld aged care worker vaccination rates revealed