Australians most vulnerable to COVID-19 are the least vaccinated. Here's how the government's responding

The government says 58,500 aged care residents have received a booster shot in the past six months. (ABC News: Emma Machan)

Australia is currently riding its next big COVID-19 wave into the holiday season.

And our ability to measure that wave has changed since the pandemic began.

The government used to rely on people testing to record the number of infections. Now, it looks to wastewater, how many scripts are being filled for antivirals, and COVID-related hospital admissions.

The definition of infected and the way the government records that data have also changed.

In that same vein, when it comes to being vaccinated against the virus, being able to record that data has become difficult.

Since the pandemic began, the government has moved the goalposts a few times on what the exact definition of being fully vaccinated is.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s most recent update to the eligibility criteria for a booster says anyone aged 18 and over can get a booster if it has been six months or more since they last had a COVID-19 infection or vaccine.

This advice is particularly targeted at adults aged 65 to 74, and those between 18 and 64 with medical comorbidities, disability or complex health needs.

The first half of this year, before April 2023, shows a success story. On the whole, governments kept aged care residents — who are pretty much the most vulnerable section of the population — vaccinated.

The definition of vaccination changed occasionally, but, on the whole, almost all aged care residents were vaccinated.

The second half, since April 2023, shows what has happened in “post-emergency Australia”. A new definition of vaccination applied.

The government now regards someone as vaccinated if they have had a booster shot or been infected with COVID-19 within the past six months. In other words, it wants all aged care residents to have some form of recent immunity.

However, the country has never managed to get more than two-thirds of aged care residents “vaccinated” under this definition.

And the vaccination rate has collapsed since September. It has now dropped below 40 per cent for this vulnerable part of the community.

What is the government doing to boost vaccinations? 

According to Council of the Ageing CEO Patricia Sparrow, it is up to the aged care providers to work with the government to ensure their residents are vaccinated.

“It should be joint responsibility,” she said.

“We need providers to particularly proactively facilitate timely vaccinations for their residents as they do with flu vaccination, and that they’re talking to their residents and families about whether are they up-to-date.”

The government says it is “committed to increasing the number of aged care residents who have their COVID vaccination up-to-date”.

“The Department of Health and Aged Care is continuing outreach to homes with the lowest COVID-19 vaccine uptake,” a government spokesperson said in a statement.

It said it was “working with Primary Health Networks to support residential aged care homes needing assistance with accessing COVID-19 vaccine providers”.

The spokesperson pointed to the incentive for doctors and pharmacists to visit homes to deliver boosters from $57 to $118, although it seems as though the financial incentive has not been enough.

The government has recorded 58,500 aged care residents have received a booster dose in the past six months and those “rates continue to rise”.