COVID-19 vaccinations – Update to reporting requirements for aged care approved providers

Approved providers have mandatory weekly reporting obligations regarding numerous COVID-19 vaccination metrics for care recipients and staff.

On 27 April 2022, the Commonwealth Government introduced further reporting requirements pertaining to care recipients’ vaccination status via amendments to the Accountability Principles (2014). The amendments were passed on 31 March 2022 and came into effect on 27 April 2022.

Approved providers are currently required to provide care recipient vaccination metrics including:

• the total number of care recipients who receive care from the service;
• the number of care recipients who voluntarily inform the approved provider that they have received a single dose, second dose, third or a booster of the COVID-19 vaccine; and
• the number of care recipients who are unwilling or clinically unsuitable to be vaccinated, whether they have had a single dose, second dose or booster of the COVID-19 vaccine .

Approved providers are also currently required to provide vaccine metrics for workers who provide care including:

• the total number of service staff providing services;
• the number of service staff who have received a single dose, second dose or third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine;
• the number of service staff who received one booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine;
• the number of service staff with an authorised permanent exemption to a COVID-19 vaccination, or who are not required to be vaccinated, for medical reasons;
• the number of service staff with an authorised temporary exemption to a COVID-19 vaccination, or who are not required to be vaccinated, on a temporary basis for medical reasons;
• the number of service staff with an authorised temporary exemption to a COVID-19 vaccination, or who are not required to be vaccinated, due to inability to access a COVID19 vaccine;
• the number of service staff with an authorised temporary exemption to a COVID-19 vaccination, or who are not required to be vaccinated, due to a critical workforce shortage OR to maintain the provision of quality of care OR to protect the health and safety of care recipients; and
• the number of service staff with an authorised exemption related to another category in the relevant State/Territory public health order, or who are not required to be vaccinated under the public health order.

From Tuesday 3 May 2022, in addition to the current reporting requirements, the weekly report must now include:

• the number of care recipients who have voluntarily informed the approved provider that they have received a winter 2022 dose of COVID-19 vaccine;
• the number of those care recipients who have voluntarily informed the approved provider that they are willing and clinically suitable to receive one or more doses of a COVID‑19 vaccine but they have not received any dose of a COVID‑19 vaccine; and
• the number of care recipients who have voluntarily informed the approved provider that they are unwilling or clinically unsuitable to receive any recommended dose of a COVID‑19 vaccine or all of the recommended doses of a COVID‑19 vaccine.

Should you require any further information about your reporting responsibilities as an approved provider, please contact the Health, Aged Care and Retirement Villages team at Thomson Geer.

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