August 3, 2022
The Darling Downs Health residential aged care facility in Wondai, Forest View, is the standout performer locally when it comes to COVID-19 vaccination rates.
The Federal Government released statistics this week showing vaccination rates at individual residential aged care centres across Australia (as at August 2).
The figures reveal the percentage of residents who have received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (of the total residents in the facility); and the percentage of residents who have received four doses (of those who received a third dose more than three months ago).
At local residential aged care facilities:
- Canowindra (Blue Care, Kingaroy) – 80-89% / 60-69%
- Castra (Southern Cross Care, Murgon) – 70-79% / 50-59%
- Forest View (DDHHS, Wondai) – 90-100% / 90-100%
- Karinya (Southern Cross Care, Nanango) – 70-79% / 30-39%
- Ny-Ku Byun (Blue Care, Cherbourg) – 34-60% / 67-100% (figures affected by confidentiality)
- Orana (Lutheran Services, Kingaroy) – 80-89% / 70-79%
There are currently 231 active outbreaks of COVID-19 in Queensland residential aged care centres, ie. 46 per cent of facilities.
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The death toll from COVID-19 in the Darling Downs Health region – which includes the South Burnett – has hit 107.
Fifty-seven deaths have occurred since July 1, and 70 since June 1.
The latest statistics announced by Queensland Health on Wednesday reveal a total of 1596 people have now died with COVID-19 across the State, ie. 342 deaths since July 1.
When the State borders reopened on December 13, the death toll for all of Queensland was seven, including two in the Darling Downs Health region.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in First Nations’ Queenslanders also continues to rise.
On August 2, there had been 95,441 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander residents who had been infected; on July 1 this figure was 80,224.
There are currently 788 people being treated for COVID-19 in Queensland hospitals, including 22 in intensive care units.
This figure has fallen from a peak of 1061 (including 30 in ICU) on July 23.
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Despite repeated warnings from health authorities that two doses of COVID-19 vaccine are not enough to protect against the Omicron variant, the percentage of local residents who have received a third dose remains low.
Statistics released by the Federal Government show vaccination rates in local council areas as at July 31. The figures are for the percentage of eligible people who have received one dose, two doses and three doses:
- Cherbourg – 74.7 / 70.7 / 40.0
- Gympie – 91.4 / 89.8 / 63.5
- North Burnett – 88.0 / 86.5 / 67.7
- Somerset – 93.3 / 91.9 / 61.6
- South Burnett – >95 / 94.6 / 64.1
- Toowoomba – >95 / >95 / 66.5
- Western Downs – 94.5 / 93.0 / 60.2
External link: Where To Get Vaccinated
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A needle-free vaccine patch could better fight COVID-19 variants, such as Omicron and Delta, than a traditional needle vaccine according to a University of Queensland study in mice.
The research, conducted in partnership with Brisbane biotechnology company Vaxxas, tested the Hexapro SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccine using a high-density microarray patch.
UQ’s Dr Christopher McMillan said the vaccine patch appeared to counteract new variants more effectively than the current SARs-CoV-2 vaccine delivered by injection.
“The high-density microarray patch is a vaccine delivery platform that precisely delivers the vaccine into the layers of the skin which are rich in immune cells,” Dr McMillan said.
“We found that vaccination via a patch was approximately 11 times more effective at combatting the Omicron variant when compared with the same vaccine administered via a needle.”
Vaxxas CEO David Hoey the company was scaling up manufacturing capabilities and accelerating product development in preparation for large-scale clinical trials.
