GPs enlisted to vaccinate older and vulnerable Australians

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced an ‘important next step’ in the country’s vaccine rollout, one aimed at protecting older Australians and people with disability.
 
In a major shift the rollout, GPs will be able to vaccinate older and more vulnerable Australians against COVID in their homes. Under the new Federal Government scheme, GPs will be paid $56.75 for a visit to an aged care facility, disability residence or a patient’s home. That is on top of the vaccination fee they receive from the Commonwealth.
 
‘It’s about expanding the vaccination program, bringing it to people. So that in-home visitation fee will assist whether it’s with the elderly, the frail, the immobile, those with disabilities, Minister Hunt said.
 
‘We have now passed, or reached, 100% of aged care facilities around Australia for first doses, and 94% of facilities have had second doses, with the remaining numbers over the coming days and weeks as they reach the three-week mark from the previous dose.
 
‘As part of that, one thing we are doing is enlisting Australia’s GPs to be able to visit people at home or in a disability or residential aged care facility.’
 
RACGP President Dr Karen Price welcomed the news.
 
‘We are going to have to open up at some point and COVID isn’t going away,’ she said. ‘All of us are going to come into contact with it, so the more people we can get [vaccinated] the better.’
 
In addition, Minister Hunt said 300 general practices will begin to deliver Pfizer alongside AstraZeneca from July, with that figure increasing to 650 by the end of the month and then again as more doses of the mRNA vaccine arrive in Australia later in the year.
 
‘As we go into the last quarter, we’ll have over 27 million Pfizer doses and that will be all hands on deck,’ he said.
 
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