Peninsula Villages, will be making our Umina Beach facility available as a vaccination hub which will deliver much-needed COVID-19 vaccines to Central Coast aged care workers.
The vaccination hub, due to start putting doses in arms as soon as 13 August 2021 will be set up within a disused Peninsula Villages’ facility, Jack Aldous House, which closed last year to make way for the newly opened Pozieres House.
The clinical nature of the facility, as well as its separation from the rest of Peninsula Villages’ facilities, made this an ideal choice of location for NSW Health to operate the centre from. Aged Care workers will be able to access the hub via a separate carpark, meaning there will be no crossover between those attending the vaccination centre and other Peninsula Villages facilities.
It will also be staffed by NSW Health contracted workers, meaning Peninsula Village staff will remain separate from the clinic at all times.
The move comes as vaccines have become mandatory for all aged care staff, meaning all must become vaccinated by September 17. At present, care staff are struggling to access vaccinations in existing hubs, and there are concerns many may run out of time to be able to access their jab before the deadline.
Fred J. P. Van Steel, CEO of Peninsula Villages, was happy to put the facility forward to assist.
“As the largest aged care provider on the coast, it’s our duty to ensure that as many staff can be vaccinated as possible. We know from our own experience that staff want to do the right thing, but many are spending hours, after long shifts, queuing at vaccination centres, or having appointments cancelled due to lack of availability.
We want to be able to assist all aged care staff on the Coast to access a vaccine so they can continue to do their jobs.”