TLC First to Offer Booster Vaccines to Residents

On Thursday, 28 October 2021, TLC Aged Care will be Australia's first aged care provider to offer Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster doses to its 1,600 aged care residents and 2,000 staff and contractors across their 11 locations. TLC will be utilising their in-house TLC Primary Care vaccination team to deliver the doses.

Lou Pascuzzi, the CEO of TLC, says the booster doses are essential for keeping their people safe. “At TLC, we have a large number of residents who are immunocompromised, and for them, COVID-19 is a significant threat. We are delighted to offer Pfizer booster doses to our residents, staff & contractors as of this week."

TLC’s Primary Care division has administered over 65,000 COVID-19 vaccinations over the last 3 months. They have vaccinated over 120 Victorian residential aged care homes through their in-reach service and provide vaccinations to the general public at their 10 community medical centres.

“TLC Warralily Gardens at Armstrong Creek will be the first home to receive booster vaccinations on Thursday from midday. The 160 residents and almost 200 staff at Warralily Gardens are being offered the vaccine.

“As of next week, we will also offer booster doses to residents, staff & contractors at the over 100 residential aged care homes and retirement villages in Victoria that our in-reach program has already vaccinated.

“I anticipate administering more than 40,000 doses within our geographic scope over the next 6 months, in keeping with the TGA prescribed 6-month gap between dose 2 and the booster.

“Alongside our rapid antigen testing program and infection control management, booster vaccinations are another preventative measure TLC will use to keep our residents and staff COVID-safe. Our rapid antigen testing program has now identified 21 people who were unaware they were positive for COVID-19 before attending one of our external testing sites.

“Our rapid antigen testing program has effectively avoided outbreaks across our 11 residential aged care homes. With over 30 aged care homes in Victoria now experiencing major COVID-19 outbreaks, these essential infection prevention mechanisms must be implemented by our industry as a matter of the utmost urgency,” says Pascuzzi.

TLC mandated COVID-19 vaccinations across its 11 residential aged care homes in March 2021, and 100% of their eligible staff, contractors and residents are vaccinated. On 9 September 2021, TLC also mandated rapid antigen testing for all visitors, staff and contractors attending their aged care homes.

TLC Aged Care operates 11 residential aged care homes, 10 medical centres and registered training facilities located across Melbourne and Geelong. In 2022, TLC will be opening their latest development in the Melbourne suburb of Mordialloc that will offer 150 residential aged care places, a community medical centre, a 120 place child care centre, and a 1,000 member commercial gym & swimming pool; all at one location.