COVID-19 Vaccine roll-out update
On 16 February, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for use in Australia.
The COVID-19 vaccine has now arrived in Australia and disability is one of the sectors being prioritised by the Australian Government under phase 1a of the vaccine rollout, which is set to start from February 22.
People with disability, workers and supporters eligible under Phase 1a of the roll-out include:
- A person with disability living in residential accommodation (in settings with two or more people with disability only).
- A paid worker providing support to people living in residential accommodation with two or more people with disability.
This is great news for Orana as it means that our clients and Independent Living support staff will be among the first Australians to receive the vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccine is free and voluntary. It is not mandatory to receive a vaccine in Phase 1a if you are eligible.
If you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 1a but take a while to decide if you want to receive it, you will be eligible to receive the vaccine at a later stage.
COVID-19 Vaccines Implementation Plan for the Disability Sector
The Department of Health has developed an implementation plan for the disability sector in consultation with state and territory governments, key disability stakeholders and other Commonwealth departments and agencies. These implementation plans will be published on the Department of Health website shortly.
For Phase 1a, people with disability will be notified when it is their turn to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
The Australian Government Department of Health has published a dedicated web page with a range of resources available about COVID-19 vaccines for people with disability which include Easy Read information and Auslan videos here.
Information on the Department of Health vaccine website will be updated regularly as new information becomes available. Resources for people with disability will also be provided and updated.
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