Grants available to vaccinate staff

Funding applications for providers to support residential aged care staff to get the mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations are open.

Aged care providers can now apply for funding to support residential aged care staff to receive the now mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.

The Federal Government committed $11 million last week to help residential aged care workers get vaccinated following National Cabinet’s decision to make it mandatory, with a first dose due by mid-September.

Providers can apply for the Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Support Grant under any or all of the three categories.

It includes provisions to pay casual staff:

  • a flat fee of $80 per dose for going off-site for a vaccination
  • $185 for one day paid sick leave if unwell after a vaccination, rostered on and without other leave entitlements.
Greg Hunt

Aged care providers are also eligible for up to $500 per facility for facilitating onsite or offsite staff vaccinations to cover transport, group vaccinations any other reasonable expenses that support workers to get vaccinated.

Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said the grant was important to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates.

“It will help residential aged care workers who may need to travel to get vaccinated at the nearest hub, clinic or GP,” Mr Hunt said.

Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services Richard Colbeck said vaccinated staff would protect the residents they cared for.

“This is why COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandated for residential aged care workers as a condition of working in an aged care facility through shared state, territory and Commonwealth authorities and compliance measures,” Mr Colbeck said.

Richard Colbeck

Providers are now able to vaccinate their own workers on-site with via a tender process that closes on 30 July.

Aged care providers are also encouraged to consult with their Primary Health Network and GPs to organise on-site vaccination clinics for workers.

All on-site vaccination programs will include Pfizer while staff accessing a COVID-19 vaccination at off-site clinics will be offered Pfizer once it is available.

Around 1,300 GPs will be administering Pfizer vaccinations from July.

Applications for the Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Support Grant close on 29 October.

Access the Provision of COVID-19 Vaccination Administration by Residential Aged Care Providers tender.

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Tags: covid vaccination, covid-19, greg hunt, Residential Aged Care COVID-19 Employee Vaccination Support Grant, Richard Colbeck, staff vaccinations,

4 thoughts on “Grants available to vaccinate staff

  1. Hi I worked aged care for 15 years. Every body should be vaccinated against covid 19. Mandorty for us flu vacccI ne. Should come in play covid 19 first broke out over a year ago. .

  2. Does the vaccination grant extend to providers of community/in-home care aged care support workers?

  3. 15 years of aged care for me
    & I will walk with mandatory medication with the possible side effect of death

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