Do COVID-19 and flu vaccinations need to be enforced?

The Department of Health and Aged Care continues to call for strong and effective infection prevention and control practices for aged care providers and staff in the battle against COVID-19 and influenza.

There are clear expectations that providers and staff remain ready for outbreaks of all levels by ensuring that Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) settings are in place and can be scaled up quickly if needed.

Meanwhile, the clearest directions can be found in the National Statement of Expectations on COVID-19 Management in Aged Care Settings.

Released in December, the document outlines nationally consistent principles and best practices surrounding COVID-19 in aged care, plus the expected responsibilities of providers if an outbreak occurred.

But with no direct Government mandates for the general public anymore, including vaccination status, it’s up to individual State and Territory guidelines and recommendations to influence provider policies.

To ensure your staff are aware of their responsibilities, and those of residential aged care visitors, Hello Leaders has provided a summary of resources and Government advice.

What does the Government say?

When asked by Hello Leaders as to the current status of vaccination recommendations for the public, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Aged Care said:

“The Government encourages all Australians to stay up to date with their influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations to aid protection against both infection and severe disease, including accessing a 2023 booster dose when eligible.

All of us have a role to play in protecting our own health, the health of our loved ones, and supporting our health systems.

Vaccination continues to be important in managing the risk related to infectious diseases including influenza and COVID-19 in high-risk settings, such as aged care.”

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) recommends that anyone who has not received a COVID-19 vaccine dose or had a confirmed infection in the past six months receives a 2023 booster dose if they’re 65 or older, or aged 18-64 and are at higher risk of complications due to medical comorbidities or have a disability with significant or complex health needs.

For all other adults, ATAGI recommends they consider a 2023 booster dose if their last dose or infection occurred over six months ago.

ATAGI now provides these recommendations regardless of the number of previous doses or boosters someone’s had. Almost 19.6 million people aged 18+ have received their COVID-19 vaccination, which counts as two initial doses while approximately two-thirds of aged care residents are not fully vaccinated.

For homes currently experiencing, or that have recently experienced a COVID-19 outbreak, it’s also recommended that 2023 booster doses are organised for eligible residents and workers.

Some will even be eligible to receive this three months after a positive infection.

The Department requests that all providers give residents and their families a COVID-19 winter dose fact sheet to support the best IPC measures.

The Department also recommended all providers continue to monitor and follow advice from the Communicable Diseases Network of Australia and National Guidelines for the Prevention, Control and Public Health Management of Outbreaks of Acute Respiratory Infection in Residential Care Facilities.

How is the Government supporting providers?

Although the Government can only provide recommendations on vaccinations, they continue to actively monitor COVID-19 outbreaks in aged care homes.

They are providing ongoing support, and a spokesperson for the Department said this includes identifying high-risk outbreaks and providing a range of targeted services to impacted homes. This includes:

• case management support, including participation in outbreak management team meetings as required
• access to PPE from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS) when commercial supplies are unavailable or insufficient or in preparation for winter
• supply of rapid antigen test (RAT) kits for surveillance screening of staff and visitors
• providing access to COVID-19 oral antiviral treatments listed under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) through community pharmacy
• access to a supplementary workforce through contracted providers and increasing access to a broader casual agency pool
• reimbursement of providers for the costs associated with managing outbreaks including those associated with PPE and RATs procured through commercial suppliers, additional and replacement staff, and other infection prevention and control activities.  

Do staff need to be vaccinated?

As per State and Government recommendations, residential aged care providers can enforce their rules regarding vaccinations, masks and testing. 

There is no Government mandate for residential aged care employees to be fully vaccinated with a 2023 booster, although they are strongly recommended to be up to date if eligible. 

Residential aged care providers are also required to have a mandatory flu vaccination program in place to comply with the Aged Care Quality Standards. 

Providers must take appropriate precautions to prevent and control the spread of the flu, which includes offering free flu vaccinations to staff and volunteers annually. 

Can vaccinations be enforced with visitors?

As the general public has no mandate for COVID-19 vaccination, it’s not possible to enforce or monitor vaccinations.

However, visitors should be reminded of the importance of flu and COVID-19 vaccinations when visiting high-risk residents.

If they have recently been exposed to COVID-19 or have any COVID-19 or flu symptoms they should be asked to refrain from visiting for at least seven days after a positive COVID-19 result or until symptoms have passed.

Face-mask requirements and regular hand sanitisation should be a part of visitor policies to limit the spread of any infectious diseases.

You can find more information on COVID-19 advice for people in residential aged care and visitors on the Department of Health and Aged Care’s website.