Page 39 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 8 February 2022
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aged-care programs. This is an outstanding effort by all involved and has put the ACT, as the Chief Minister said, in a very strong position.
While the initial uptake of booster and paediatric vaccines has been strong, there are many appointments still available. International data shows that boosters significantly reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death from Omicron. Protection against Omicron declines six months after the second dose of any recommended COVID-19 vaccine, so booster vaccination is critical to topping up your immunity against the Omicron variant. ACT Health is implementing a communications campaign that will help to educate the community on the benefits of booster vaccination. I strongly encourage Canberrans who have not yet done so to come forward for their vaccination so that the community can remain as protected as possible against the Omicron variant.
The Equity to Access program is still in operation and is providing vaccines to people in our community who are less able to access mainstream health services. ACT Health and Canberra Health Services have worked closely to deliver these clinics since September 2021. Last year the Equity to Access program delivered more than 2,000 vaccine doses to marginalised and hard-to-reach community members. Vaccination opportunities were provided to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people living with disability and their families and carers, LGBTIQ+ community members, and people living in social housing and insecure accommodation.
This year the team has already commenced offering booster vaccines to adults and is running in-reach clinics for children aged five to 11 years at some of our specialist schools, supporting a safer return to education.
Pop-up clinics will also recommence operating later this year. Pop-ups target areas across the ACT with lower than average vaccine uptake. They were essential to the success of the initial vaccination program and will continue later in the year, offering booster vaccinations.
The ACT Health Directorate will continue to work with community sector partners and healthcare providers to offer these targeted programs and assistance to address identified gaps. Canberra Health Services will also continue to offer vaccination outreach to patients in settings such as hospitals and hospices, mental health units, dialysis centres, adult incarceration centres, disability hubs and methadone clinics.
The Equity to Access program represents the best of our community and our expectation that everyone, no matter their circumstances, should have access to health care. The program has helped the ACT to lead the nation in vaccination rates, providing everyone with the opportunity to be protected as we continue to live with COVID. This, in turn, has helped to reduce the impact on our health system and our economy.
As at 9 am on 7 February, the ACT is nearing an average of two tests per Canberran since the start of the pandemic, with a total of 833,678 negative tests. Testing numbers in the ACT and across Australia increased dramatically throughout December and into January due to the increase in cases and exposure, as well as the requirement for
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