The Aberlea community in Mortlake is celebrating a COVID-19 milestone after 100 per cent of eligible residents received their second and final Pfizer vaccination last week.
Chief executive officer David Knight said he was also “extremely proud” that more than 70 per cent of staff at the 40-bed aged care facility had voluntarily been vaccinated.
“It’s a huge step forward for our facility and enables us to protect our residents, families and the community even more,” he said.
“We all understand, or should understand, that the COVID-19 threat hasn’t disappeared and as visitation relaxes again, it’s wonderful to know that the protection of our residents is even greater than it was before the recent lockdown.
“We have been through a process with all our residents to keep them informed, to gain their consent, to have dialogue with their families and to achieve this milestone.”
Mr Knight said, unlike state-managed healthcare facilities, Aberlea staff at Mortlake did not qualify for Priority 1A vaccinations.
“Our staff are 1B and are now entitled to Pfizer or AstraZeneca depending on their age. It is not mandatory for staff, but we are encouraging vaccination strongly,” he said.
“The strong uptake reflects the culture we have built here that vaccination not only helps protect you from COVID-19, it helps protect everyone around you. It’s a strong ‘we’re in this together’ mindset, which we’re proud of.”
Mr Knight said all staff who presented proof of their COVID vaccination received a personal gift.
“As a small measure, we have organised a couple of tickets to the movies as a small thank you for playing their role to help combat this world-changing virus,” he said.
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