All pharmacists should consider off-site vaccinations in aged care

Vaccination coverage in older Australians remains alarmingly low. Off-site services provided by pharmacists are key to closing the gap in aged care.

Older Australians are highly susceptible to serious complications from influenza and COVID-19. But the vaccination rates in patients aged 75 and over are nowhere where they need to be to protect this vulnerable patient cohort from harm, including hospitalisations and death.

The national influenza vaccination rate of patients aged 65 and over currently sits at 7.2%. And in the last 12 months, only 37.7% of Australians aged 75 and over received a COVID-19 vaccination.

But boosting immunisation rates in older Australians is more important than ever. The influenza season started earlier and stronger than usual, with 60,594 cases of influenza reported this year.

As of 10 April, there were also  70 active outbreaks of COVID-19 in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Last year, case numbers were highest among those most at risk, with notifications peaking in the 75–79, 80–84 and 85+ (12,607).

With GPs not always available to address vaccination gaps in aged care, pharmacists are well positioned to step in and provide this essential service.

In the video above, community pharmacist Lachlan Rose MPS outlines the benefits of providing offsite vaccinations in aged care settings, including financial incentives, workplace variety and the protection of one of the most vulnerable populations.