Dear colleagues,
Victoria is tracking well to reach the 70 per cent double dose target on or slightly before the indicative deadline of 26 October and there have been some encouraging news reports that Australia is likely to achieve 90 per cent double dose vaccination coverage, which would make the country one of the world’s most vaccinated.
Mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers
A reminder that the first deadline for mandatory COVID vaccination is due this Friday 15 October 2021. By this date all Western Health staff and volunteers need to have either received their first dose of a COVID vaccine, have evidence of a booking prior to 29 October 2021 or a valid medical exemption.
Western Health staff, volunteers and families are able to walk in to any of our vaccination hubs to receive their first or second vaccination dose.
If you have been vaccinated elsewhere, please do not leave it to the last moment to complete the quick survey. A reminder that if we don’t have updated records, we need to treat you as if you are unvaccinated.
A form is available on the microsite to support staff wishing to get an exemption. However, any medical certificate or letter from an authorised medical practitioner will be considered as evidence.
If you have received a medical exemption, please give a copy of this exemption to your manager. Your manager will send a copy to People & Culture. Each exemption will be reviewed by a newly-formed COVID Vaccination Medical Exemption Panel to ensure that it meets the requirements and fulfils the definitions of a medical contraindication under the Public Health Directions.
Booster shots for severely immunocompromised people
On 8 October, ATAGI recommended the use of a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine for individuals who are severely immunocompromised only. The third dose is intended to address the risk of suboptimal or non-response to the standard 2-dose schedule, maximising the level of immune response to as close as possible to the general population.
Vaccination hubs now offering Moderna or Pfizer to people aged 60 and over
As of 11 October, all state-run vaccination centres are offering Moderna or Pfizer vaccines to people over 60. The online booking portal and Victorian Coronavirus hotline will reflect updated eligibility requirements.
Outreach vaccination service
As Victoria gets closer to the double dose target of 70 per cent, we’re seeing demand for vaccinations at state-run hubs slow down while demand for our customisable outreach service grows. The outreach team, led by Suzie Ristevski and Rachael Duff, is working with industry, partner organisations and community groups to deliver targeted vaccination services, whether for sectors like residential aged care or meat works or for communities who face barriers to health services such as lower levels of English or mobility issues.
The Outreach Service has been working directly with communities to enable delivery of vaccination to people residing in the Western Region of Melbourne who cannot otherwise access the service at a West Metro Vaccination Hub. The Outreach Service operates as a flexible model, which may involve temporary site set up in a vaccination space or a mobile service. The outreach team is also responsible for in-patient vaccination; supporting patients attending Western Health to access vaccination during their inpatient stay or providing priority patient access at our vaccination hubs. The Outreach Service has been well received by local councils and community groups making the service available to a broad range of culturally diverse backgrounds across municipalities in our region, providing many people with access to the COVID-19 vaccine.
Last Saturday, the outreach team set up a temporary vaccination site at a basketball stadium in Sunshine North to vaccinate people from the South Sudanese Australian community. This followed recent outreach services with Somalian, Islamic and Muslim communities, in which the outreach team collaborated and partnered with local organisations and community leaders to provide vaccination services at venues familiar to the communities and with in-language resources. Demand for this service will grow over the coming weeks in an effort to engage harder-to-reach communities who might otherwise miss out on vaccination.
The services had also closed a significant gap in vaccination uptake numbers within the community and has received overwhelming positive feedback from vaccine recipients regarding the convenience of access to COVID-19 vaccination in a culturally safe space.
Supporting people with a disability or special requirement to get vaccinated
People with a disability or special requirement (such as Auslan or autism) can now walk in to state-run vaccination centres, no booking required. When someone identifies as having a disability, this verbal confirmation is all that is required as proof of disability.
Melbourne Showgrounds is one of nine Victorian vaccination centres with enhanced accessibility including on-site hearing augmentation devices and communication tools. We also provide drive-through vaccination services at our Melton and Wyndham Eagle Stadium hubs. Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) can help people with a disability access vaccination and can be engaged by either:
- completing this online form Request for Disability Liaison Officer support
- emailing DLOcoordinator@dhhs.vic.gov.au.
Face masks for students in Year 3 to Year 6 when indoors at school
Face masks are now required for students in Year 3 to Year 6, only when indoors on school premises, unless an exception applies. Students aged 12 and over must continue to wear face masks indoors and outdoors, again unless a lawful exception applies. Exceptions for all year levels include: students with a physical or mental disability are not required to wear a face mask where their disability means it would not be suitable.
Children at vaccination centres
We understand that sometimes parents or caregivers getting vaccinated need to bring children along. We can provide support by ensuring children stay within the vaccine booth while their parent or carer is being vaccinated, or enabling a parent to maintain a place in the queue if they need to take a child to the toilet or other caregiving reason.
Regards,
Shane Crowe
Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery