16 December 2022

Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination: Important reminders and Department of Health and Aged Care Disability Provider Alerts (29 November 2022 and 13 December 2022)

The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has recently issued two new Disability Provider Alerts with updated information about vaccination and infection control. Safe and effective infection control is essential for reducing the transmission risk of COVID-19 for people with disability and workers.

Key points

• The Department of Health and Aged Care has issued new Disability Provider Alerts with updated information about vaccines and the COVID-19 vaccination program.
• As COVID-19 infection rates are high across Australia, it is important that you continue to protect those at greatest risk.
• Safe and effective infection control in disability settings is essential, and online training courses are available for disability workers.
• Good ventilation helps lower transmission risk of COVID-19.
• Providers should also ensure plans are in place to prevent and manage infection outbreaks and to enable continuity of support.

Department of Health and Aged Care provider alerts

The Department of Health and Aged Care COVID-19 Disability Provider Alert (29 November 2022) contains important information about the continued rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine including:

• ATAGI recommends the Pfizer bivalent vaccine can be used for any recommended booster dose for those aged 18 years or older and a booster dose of the Paediatric Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine be given to eligible children aged 6 months to 4 years.
   

• Information about isolation rules and payments for workers in high-risk settings such as disability support, aged care, Aboriginal healthcare and hospital care if they test positive for COVID-19.
   

• A range of infection control training for disability workers, including:
  - Maintaining safe and effective infection control in disability settings
  - Supporting People to Stay Infection Free
  - Infection Prevention and Control eLearning Modules
  - Infection Prevention and Control Skill Set HLTSS00084
   

• A video on Facebook, featuring Dr Lucas de Toca PSM, discussing COVIDSafe, with an Auslan translation and other COVIDSafe and vaccine material on the Department of Health and Aged Care website.
   

• Assistance pathways available to people with disability and their support networks, including via the National Coronavirus and COVID-19 Vaccine Helpline (phone 1800 020 080) and the Disability Gateway.

We encourage you to read the Department of Health and Aged Care 29 November provider alert for the full details.

The Department of Health and Aged Care COVID-19 Disability Provider alert (13 December 2022) contains important information about the COVID-19 vaccination program under the Australian Government’s National COVID-19 health management plan for 2023.

• For the next 12 months, COVID-19 vaccination will continue to be principally administered by health professionals in primary care settings (GP, Community Pharmacy, and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services) with targeted in-reach support for people who are unable to engage with traditional primary care or attend primary care settings.
• The Vaccine Administration Partners Program (VAPP) will continue to operate as a whole-of-government panel available to Commonwealth, state, territory and local governments and private businesses and other enterprises to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations. The VAPP will be a last resort option to administer vaccinations for priority populations, including residents in disability accommodation settings, if there is a shortfall in primary care availability that cannot be filled.

Read the Department of Health and Aged Care 13 December provider alert for the full details.

Ventilation helps lower transmission risk of COVID-19

Providers are reminded that good ventilation remains an important consideration for indoor settings as one tool to lower the transmission risk of COVID-19 for people with disability and workers.

The Australian Health Principal Protection Committee advises that adequate air flow may limit the spread of COVID-19 in indoor environments, particularly in crowded, poorly ventilated spaces where infected persons may spend time with others.

The World Health Organization advises that the risk of COVID-19 spreading indoors may be reduced through well-designed, maintained and operational ventilation systems. Proper use of natural ventilation (such as enabling air flow through open windows) may provide the same benefits.

• Practical advice on how to improve indoor ventilation can be found on the Victorian Government Website  
• The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) updated its COVID-19 measures in October to include the ability for eligible participants to use their NDIS plan funding to purchase a device such as a portable air purifier to help improve the air quality within key living areas of their home if required, to help ensure continuity of supports. More information is in the Ministerial announcement.
• The Department of Social Services developed a fact sheet for disability providers on ventilation and COVID-19, and more information on the responsibilities of employers is available on the Safe Work Australia website.

Provider planning to prevent and manage outbreaks

Providers are reminded of obligations in identifying and managing risks of COVID-19 infection of yourself, your workers and people engaged to deliver NDIS supports, as well as NDIS participants.

In the lead up to the busy Christmas and New Year period, you are strongly encouraged to review and update your risk assessments and outbreak management plans to ensure the continued delivery of safe supports, taking into account the available health advice and workplace safety obligations.

Infection prevention should be a focus of your outbreak planning including ensuring that your workers are appropriately trained and supported to prevent and manage COVID-19 infection. 

Your emergency management plans must also consider and mitigate risks to participants you support and ensure continuity of supports that are critical to their health, safety and wellbeing. This includes workforce contingency planning in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak and adapting and rapidly responding to changes and interruptions to participant supports.  

• For guidance on preventing and managing COVID-19 outbreaks in disability residential settings, please refer to the Communicable Diseases Network Australia’s (CDNA) disability supplement.
• The NDIS Commission’s fact sheet on outbreak preparedness provides information on preparing for, preventing and managing an outbreak in disability settings. 
• The NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators provide further guidance on provider obligations.  
• For more information about outbreak prevention and management, read our COVID-19 vaccine provider alert (28 July).

Reporting obligations

Providers must continue to notify the NDIS Commission of changes and events that significantly affect your ability to comply with your conditions of registration and provide supports and services. COVID-19 related changes and events, including workforce shortages, changes to delivery of supports and services, and COVID-19 infections are reported using the COVID-19 notification of events form.

Notifications allow us to monitor and act on risks for participants and understand the impact on the sector. This includes facilitating support for participants and providers through the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) where necessary to maintain continuity of critical supports.  

Further information

The COVID-19 vaccine information webpage on our website contains links to updates about COVID-19 vaccines and resources for NDIS providers.

We also have a COVID-19 vaccine webpage containing information for people with disability.