By Luke Voogt
Three Geelong aged care centres are on track to be among the first to fully vaccinate residents, staff and contractors against COVID-19, defying nationwide delays.
Homestead Estate in Wallington has administered the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine to 144 residents (97 per cent) and 175 staff and contractors (92 per cent), according to operator TLC Healthcare.
Warralilly Gardens, Armstrong Creek, and The Belmont, in Belmont, have vaccinated 320 (91 per cent) and 301 (87 per cent) staff and residents respectively, according to TLC.
In February, TLC anticipated delays in the Commonwealth’s vaccination roll-out across residential aged care, according to chief executive Lou Pascuzzi.
“We soon realised that, despite the government’s good intentions, the scale of this undertaking meant that the vaccine wasn’t going to be delivered before the onset of winter,” he said.
The company provided the Department of Health with a formal proposal to administer phase 1a of the program itself, Mr Pascuzzi explained.
“Rather than criticising or lobbying the government to close that gap, TLC put its hand up to support the government’s efforts.”
Following a rigorous qualification process, TLC received 7000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to immunise residents, staff, and contractors.
The measure enabled TLC to provide the first dose to 91.25 per cent of its 3500 residents, staff and contractors, Mr Pascuzzi said.
“What has really surprised me is the 91.2 average take up rate of the vaccine across our residents, staff, and contractors.
“Most of those not participating are as a result of their clinical profile, or other personal reasons.
“We are on schedule, thanks to the Department of Health, and their transport contractor DHL, delivering all the required vaccines and consumables on time.
“We have also begun to administer the second doses, and expect everyone to be fully vaccinated by May 4.”
TLC’s announcement came as federal government this week formally abandoned its target to vaccinate every Australian against COVID-19 by the end of October.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison conceded previous vaccination timelines were “not possible” given “uncertainties” facing the rol-lout following concerns about rare side effects from AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.
