Department of Health – Primary Health Care COVID-19 Response Teleconference 4 August 2021 – Meeting notes from Dr Maria Boulton

The Primary Care Implementation Group (PCIG) is an online meeting that includes most primary healthcare peak bodies. It is convened weekly by the Department of Health as part of the COVID-19 response. Dr Maria Boulton attends on behalf of the AGPA.

Updates from the Taskforce

Vulnerable children aged 12-15 will become eligible for Pfizer

PPE is being supplied to  Qld GP clinics in lockdown areas
– Supply is   through PHN from the national stockpile.
–  GP clinics are requested to try to access PPE privately in the first instance and use the national stockpile stock as last resort.
–  This supply also applies to pharmacies.

Compulsory COVID vaccination in aged care
– formal advice to be published soon, currently being finalised,
– Allied health are included in the scope of mandatory vaccination for Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) 
– main focus is on people who are employed by RACF who work on site, including visiting GPs and non-clinical staff eg admin, catering, cleaning, volunteers engaged by RACF.
Exemptions –  the only allowable exemptions are:
– medical exemptions as advised by ATAGI,
– temporary issues such as those who have not been able to secure a vaccine but have an appointment,
– those who can’t access vaccines because of where they live, – women who are pregnant.
– No exemptions on personal, political or religious grounds.

Taskforce requests details of specific postcodes where people are unable to access the COVID vaccines

NSW health is arranging vaccination of year 12 students in specified geographical areas.

There is a need to keep pushing for older Australians to get vaccinated.

GP Respiratory Clinics in NSW are delivering record amounts of vaccines and doing record amounts of testing-acknowledged.

Pharmacies have joined rollout-AZ only at this stage.

Questions/ Comments from AGPA:

When do the outbreak ATAGI recommendations apply? Eg in Brisbane now?
Response: – The recommendation now is for residents in Fed hot spots to consider getting vaccinated as soon as possible, following a discussion with their GP as per the ATAGI statements pertaining to hot spots. – ATAGI release a statement every week. We do not need to wait for a South East Qld Specific ATAGI statement.

Need better comms for public re-children so that we are not inundated with phone calls.

Will children of front line Health Care Workers  and quarantine and custom workers be eligible as well?
Response: No, only children who are in the three groups. The children themselves need to be vulnerable.