Page 1453 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 1 June 2022
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We have also been providing winter booster doses to eligible Canberrans. These additional booster doses will ensure that people at greatest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are as protected as possible as we head into the winter season.
Last week the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, ATAGI, updated its advice on eligibility for winter doses. Canberrans can now receive a second booster dose if they are aged 65 and over; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and aged 50 years and over; a resident of aged or disability care settings; a person with an immunocompromising condition; a person with a disability who has significant health needs or multiple comorbidities; or a person with severe obesity or who is severely underweight. As of 30 May, 32,308 eligible Canberrans have received their winter booster. I strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to receive a first or second booster dose to come forward to boost their protection.
COVID-19 has persisted in the Canberra community and our hospitals are experiencing a high demand for healthcare services. The ACT’s high vaccination coverage and lower demand for vaccination mean that our vaccination staff can now be redeployed to provide support to other areas of the health system. After administering more than 288,000 vaccine doses since September 2021, the AIS Arena mass vaccination clinic closed its doors yesterday, 31 May. Other ACT government COVID-19 vaccine clinics, including the access and sensory clinic and Equity to Access program, will continue to operate for people who require these specialised services.
I was sorry not to be able to make it out to the AIS clinic yesterday to thank the amazing staff in person. I would like to take the opportunity now to express my deep gratitude to the nurses, pharmacists, students, support staff, and infrastructure and ICT teams who made our mass vaccination effort such a success. Your innovation, compassion and dedication have been outstanding. The government cannot thank you enough for your contribution to the Canberra community.
Indeed, I am sure the Assembly will join me in expressing sincere thanks to all of the health professionals and staff in government vaccination clinics, general practices and pharmacies who have worked, and continue to work, to provide Canberrans with the invaluable protection of a COVID-19 vaccine and help the territory to achieve and maintain our world-leading vaccination rates.
Influenza vaccines are particularly important this year. Fewer COVID-19 public health restrictions and the return of international travel had been expected to drive an increase in influenza and other respiratory illnesses this winter, and we are already seeing this impact. So far, the ACT has received more than 600 confirmed reports of influenza in the community this year.
The uptake of flu vaccine in the ACT is very good in comparison to other parts of Australia—including more than half of those over 65 being vaccinated already—and there has been a large increase in uptake across the community over the last two weeks. We will continue to monitor this, with a focus on supporting vaccination for those who are most vulnerable to poor outcomes from influenza infection. Of course,
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