The Department of Health is on a mission to pull together an additional COVID-19 vaccine workforce ahead of the immunisation rollout and is planning to deliver essential training to everyone who will administer the vaccinations.
Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said Australia’s vaccine rollout would be carried out through hospitals, General Practices, State and Commonwealth vaccination clinics, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and Pharmacies.
“This additional vaccination workforce will help support and supplement these existing services and assist in outreach in areas such as aged care and remote and indigenous communities working with existing providers,” Mr Hunt said.
“Our vaccination strategy requires the highest levels of operational readiness,” he said.
“This vaccine workforce will support the jurisdictions for their part in the vaccine rollout.”
Mr Hunt said it was anticipated that the vaccine workforce would also partner with peak organisations and other providers to assist in administering the vaccine for harder-to-reach populations, such as remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
“Work is also under way to prepare the necessary and compulsory training which will be required for each and every healthcare professional administering COVID-19 vaccines,” the Minister said.
“The Australian College of Nursing is leading the preparation of the training materials which will cover the handling and administration of COVID-19 vaccines,” he said.
Mr Hunt said the nature of the vaccines required immunisers to receive information on a range of issues, including the use of multi-use vials as well as handling practices for the Pfizer vaccine which required very low temperatures for storage.
“Healthcare professionals and the vaccine workforce will not be able to administer any COVID-19 vaccines without having first completed the training modules,” the Minister said.
He said expressions of interest were now being sought from all accredited general practices to take part in Phase-1b of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program planned to commence in March.
“General practices will help deliver the vaccine initially to priority groups, starting with people over 70, adults with underlying medical conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Phase-1b,” Mr Hunt said.
“Three more phases will follow until the whole country has been offered the vaccine,” he said.
The Department of Health said practices which didn’t participate in Phase-1b of the vaccine roll-out could still be involved in later phases.
