Ararat and Willaura awarded for flu vaccination compliance

The VICNISS Coordinating Centre and Department of Health (DH) have awarded both the East Grampians Health Service Ararat and Willaura campuses for their extraordinary efforts  for healthcare worker influenza vaccination compliance rates.

VICNISS acknowledged those hospitals and health services that achieved excellent healthcare worker influenza vaccination compliance rates for 2021, a year in which has and continues to be, a busy one with particularly challenging times for our healthcare workers.

East Grampians Health Service – Ararat achieved a healthcare worker influenza vaccination rate of 99%, which exceeded the DH compliance rate in Victoria of 92%.

A ‘Certificate of Excellence’ was presented for the ‘extraordinary efforts undertaken by the Executive and Infection Control staff’ in having the highest compliance in the state for a comparable hospital/health service with 200-399 staff.

EGHS’s Willaura campus achieved a healthcare worker influenza vaccination rate of 98%, which exceeded the DH compliance rate in Victoria of 92%, and received a ‘Certificate of Excellence’ for having the second highest compliance rate in the state for a comparable hospital/health service with less than 100 staff.

EGHS Interim Chief Executive Peter Armstrong congratulated the staff at Ararat and Willaura for achieving such high compliance rates.

“I would like to thank all staff for recognising the importance of the flu vaccination, and congratulate our Infection Control Coordinator Leeanne Atkinson for running a very successful flu vaccination program this year, on top of the COVID-19 vaccination program that the health service continues to roll out,” Mr Armstrong said.