Weekly Covid vaccination data published online
Covid vaccination rates of aged care residents will be published every Wednesday from now.
Since 1 August 2022, Covid vaccination rates are available for each residential aged care home via a downloadable spreadsheet and an interactive map.
Supplied by the Australian Immunisation Register, the information will provide third and fourth dose vaccination rates of aged care residents by facility across Australia.
To ensure the personal information of residents is protected:
- a facility’s resident vaccination rate is displayed within a range, for example 90 per cent -100 per cent)
- a band’s width is based on the number of residents at that residential aged care facility
- larger percentage bands are used when reporting vaccination rates for residential aged care facilities with less than 20 residents
- data for facilities with fewer than five residents are not included.
At the start of June, less than 60 per cent of aged care residents had received a fourth Covid-19 dose. That number has increased to 78.8 per cent of eligible residents in aged care facilities.
Minister for Aged Care Anika Wells, who announced the measure to providers in July, said the public information on third and fourth doses would further drive vaccination rates in the sector.
“Covid-19 vaccination rates have risen significantly since Minister Mark Butler and I jointly wrote to aged care providers urging them to support residents to access a fourth dose,” Ms Wells said in a statement.
Residential aged care homes are responsible for ensuring residents have access to Covid-19 vaccines as soon as they are permitted to do so.
“I strongly encourage aged care providers to continue to organise fourth doses as soon as residents are eligible, to ensure they have maximum protection,” said Ms Wells.
Vaccination rates of aged care residents will be updated every Wednesday on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website health.gov.au.
Comment on the story below. Follow Australian Ageing Agenda on LinkedIn and Facebook, sign up to our twice-weekly newsletter and subscribe to AAA magazine for the complete aged care picture.
