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Thousands of ADF personnel are expected to provide supplementary support for the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to aged care residents.
Since the onset of the pandemic, over 14,000 ADF personnel have supported the national response through Operation COVID-19 Assist.
This has included contact tracing, emergency clinical support, border control measures, swab testing, and support to hotel quarantine.
Personnel are now expected to support the vaccine rollout, as part of phase 1A, by providing supplementary support to the rollout of vaccines to Australians in aged care.
The ADF’s contribution is expected to focus on vaccinating senior Australians in locations not readily accessible by other medical providers.
“As we move into the next phase of the aged care vaccine rollout and continue the expansion of teams, additional nurses, pharmacists and providers are being added, with ADF vaccination teams supplementing these efforts,” acting Minister for Defence Marise Payne and Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt said in a joint statement.
“The teams are expected to start next week and will build on the planning, logistics, and operations support Defence personnel are already providing to the Department of Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination Taskforce.”
The ministers added: “This is another important role the ADF is playing in protecting Australians against COVID, as they have throughout the pandemic.”
[Related: ADF wraps up COVID-19 border operation]
