EPA
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The corona virus has once again managed to infiltrate nursing homes in Melbourne!
The plague that took the lives of over 500 residents of nursing homes in the middle of last year again threatens to endanger those who are most vulnerable, as a woman employed at the Arker Center in Maidstone worked infected for two days and transmitted the virus to a 99-year-old woman!
According to the information of the health services, another person aged 95 was positive for kovid, but the test will be repeated due to the suspicion that he still did not show an accurate result.
Another Arker worker got the virus, and the case of a caregiver in a home in the Sunshine neighborhood was reported, but it has not yet been confirmed whether it is the same worker from a home in Maidstone, who is employed in both of these institutions.
Due to this development of the situation, health experts were asked by the Federal Government to reconsider their decision to vaccinate the workers of the old homes. Namely, in January this year, the Australian Health Commission, which consists of chief medical officials of all states and territories together with Commonwealth experts, decided not to require mandatory vaccination for staff, but that decision could now be reversed.
– We have returned the issue of mandatory vaccination of workers in old people’s homes for reconsideration by a panel of medical experts. The request came at the insistence of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and myself – said Federal Minister of Health Greg Hunt.
Commonwealth Deputy Chief Health Officer Michael Kidd confirmed that this topic will be discussed as soon as possible.
– This issue is already in the process and we expect that our recommendation will be presented to the National Cabinet at the next session – said Kid.
The idea of mandatory vaccination for nursing home officials was also supported by epidemiologist Mary Louise McLaughlin, the representative of the World Health Organization for Australia.
– I sincerely believe that vaccination should be a matter of choice, but not in the case of people who work with vulnerable people, the disabled or in quarantine centers. If they really have a problem with the vaccine and do not want to receive it, then those people should find jobs where they will not have contact with the endangered – said Meklos.
Bearing in mind that no one in the country wants to repeat last year’s scenario, it is quite expected that vaccines against kovid will become a condition for work in institutions for the elderly and for people with disabilities. The official decision could be made this Friday at the session of the National Cabinet.
Infected received one dose
Both kovid-positive nursing home users, as well as one worker, have received one dose of kovid vaccine in recent weeks.
Although she was asymptomatic, the 99-year-old was immediately transferred to the hospital as soon as her test showed she was positive. These cases have shown how important revaccination is, as well as the protection of all vulnerable people.
– We have a certain number of elderly people in private homes who have not yet been vaccinated. On this occasion, we appeal to them and their families to reconsider their decision and to agree to give consent for immunization – said Minister Hunt.
The end of immunization only in July 2022?
In Australia, just over 4.2 million doses of covid vaccines have been given so far, which is far from the 13.6 million planned for this phase of immunization. However, the rate of immunization has improved significantly and is currently given about 617,000 doses per week.
Statistics show that, if this pace continues, the immunization of the entire adult population will not be completed until July 2022.
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