Rapid flu vax response at RACFs amid pandemic

Residential aged care facilities (RACFs) in Brisbane North and Moreton Bay have vaccinated staff and visiting workers against influenza, following an Australian Health Protection Principal Committee recommendation issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chaired by the Australian Chief Medical Officer, the Committee is the key decision making body for health emergencies and had set a 1 May 2020 deadline for the vaccinations to be completed.

To support this national vaccination program, the Australian Government Department of Health provided funding to Primary Health Networks to:

• undertake a Health Needs Assessment (HNA) of each residential aged care facility and
• coordinate influenza vaccination programs for those RACFs that have an identified need.

Dubbed ‘Operation 13’ – a nod to the number of days Brisbane North PHN had to complete the activity – the deadline was met with the support of local GPs.

To gather key information needed for the HNA, 14 staff across the PHN were recruited into a 'Call Army' to telephone the region’s 83 RACFs. Dr Kristin Riley (pictured) was engaged as a GP vaccine administrator, providing immunisations to RACF staff at one local facility via two vaccination clinics. Dr Riley said it was especially important this year to protect residents of aged care facilities from both COVID-19 and influenza.

“However the logistics for some facilities and GPs to achieve the sheer number of vaccinations required, in a relatively small window of time, was challenging,” Dr Riley said.

“I appreciated the opportunity offered by the PHN to be involved with providing vaccine clinics to one of the facilities that was experiencing such a challenge, with 120 staff to vaccinate,” she added.

“It has been particularly heartening to realise the extraordinary efforts that have been made by RACFs, their staff, GPs and the sector to achieve the most timely vaccination, and ultimately protection, of our valued elderly population this year,” Dr Riley said.

Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians, Richard Colbeck, said it was particularly important staff and residents of residential aged care facilities received the flu vaccination this season as the fight to combat the spread of COVID-19 continues.

“The Government has asked Primary Health Networks across Australia to assist in the coordination of flu vaccinations in their region,” Minister Colbeck said.

“This health emergency is unprecedented and as we edge closer to winter we want to make sure staff and residents have the protection of the flu vaccination.”

As most aged care staff are under 65 years of age and therefore ineligible for the Queensland Government’s free flu vaccine, the PHN implemented new processes to ensure they could access vaccines through this initiative.