Disability advocates are alarmed at the idea Australia needs to “learn to live with COVID”, saying that could mean a life of isolation and even death for many people with disability.
The study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Oxford University and Public Health England found risks were particularly high for those with profound learning disabilities linked to Down’s syndrome and cerebral palsy. Among Covid patients with Down’s syndrome, for example, the risk of dying from the infection was 36 times higher than in the general population.
The peak body for disability services says national cabinet’s decision not to mandate vaccines for people working in the sector at this time is “hugely disappointing”.
Disability support workers may soon be forced to get vaccinated against coronavirus if they want to keep their jobs. The compulsory jab policy has been recommended by a panel of health experts and will be debated at a national cabinet meeting on Friday. The proposed mandate follows a similar order imposed on aged care workers, who must receive at least one dose by mid-September to remain employed in the industry.
“It is certainly an issue that we’ve been working with states and territories on. It is very important, I believe, that disability support workers, particularly those who work in disability accommodation, are vaccinated to protect those that they look after.”
Let us be clear. If the intention is to “let her rip” before ensuring that all of the 1a and 1b vaccine rollout groups are vaccinated, this will not be “living with COVID”. This will be eugenics against a protected group of citizens. People with disability will die.
Mr Morrison said the government was looking to incentivise corporate sector vaccinations for aged care and disability. “With the corporate program that will be used to incentive vaccinations for aged care workers, we will extend that to disability care workers as well.”
States and territories (bar Victoria) today committed to introducing public health orders to mandate the COVID-19 vaccination for aged care workers, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said following the latest National Cabinet meeting. However, there was no recommendation for a vaccination mandate for disability care workers, although they are “strongly recommended” to be vaccinated, he said.
Ms Malowney said she was disappointed by the slowness of the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and said people with disabilities were the “forgotten community”. She said Scope shouldn’t have to be responsible for running vaccination centres, “but if that’s the only way they can keep clients safe, then let’s do it”.
Disability charities are stepping up to play a part in Australia’s vaccine rollout, opening hubs across the country to help people with disability and their support staff get vaccinated.
In addition to the state-based vaccination hubs prioritising workers announced by the Victorian Government yesterday, a dedicated Commonwealth vaccination hub for people with disability opened in Thomastown last week. Each day more than 120 people with disability, their support workers and their primary carers are being vaccinated. In addition to the dedicated vaccination hub, the … Continued
Disability representative organisation People with Disability Australia has found people with disability are struggling to work out if they are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines and are getting extremely inconsistent access to vaccination appointments.
But just 999 have received a shot, which is less than 4 per cent of the people living in the facilities. Mr Littleproud, when asked if that figure was “good enough”, said “yes, because it’s part of the scheduled rollout”.
Three months into the vaccine rollout and fewer than 1,000 residents in disability support homes have been protected against COVID-19. The vaccination rate of less than five per cent has been branded an abject failure by the Disability Royal Commission.
Guest: Bill Shorten, Shadow Minister for Government Services and the NDIS
In a special one-day hearing to examine the vaccine rollout for people with disabilities, the disability royal commission heard in some states fewer than 10 people living in residential homes had been vaccinated.