Local aged care residents receive COVID vaccine

Aged care residents in Drouin, Warragul and Neerim South will receive the COVID-19 vaccine from today.

Rollout of the free vaccine, that began in Victoria yesterday, is firstly being offered to people most at risk.

The initial priority groups include aged care and disability care residents and workers, frontline healthcare workers, and quarantine and border workers.

Private aged care facilities operating under the federal government are included in the current rollout.

Aged care residents in public facilities, including the West Gippsland Healthcare Group’s Andrews House and Cooinda Lodge, are expected to receive the vaccination next month.

Thirteen months since the first diagnosed COVID-19 case in Australia, the vaccine was welcomed as liquid gold by Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday.

The government expects it will significantly improve Australia’s COVID management.

At Drouin’s Lyrebird Village, the majority of aged care residents have opted to receive the vaccination today.

Lyrebird Village chief executive officer Bill Baker said the “vast majority” of residents were taking the opportunity to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Staff will be vaccinated at a later date.

To read the full article, pick up a copy of the Gazette today.