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Both doses done for most in services
Most IDEA Services frontline support workers have now received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination.
IDEA Services has been busy ensuring staff and the people we support have the crucial information they need about the vaccination, communicating directly with the Ministry of Health and, at a local level, district health boards.
“We’ve been engaging with the newly appointed Disability Equity Leads, whose job it is to coordinate vaccinations for the disability sector,” says IDEA Services Director of Nursing Prudence Lennox.
IDEA Services has also been using the Ministry of Health’s recently released Supported Decision-making Framework to ensure the people we support can consent, or not consent, to vaccination.
“The majority of people we support can communicate their decision, but this framework is a crucial step for people we support who either cannot consent themselves or don’t have a legally appointed representative to act on their behalf,” says Prudence. “This will ensure a consistent approach nationally for vaccinators and providers.”
In addition to the COVID-19 vaccine, the influenza vaccine is available to staff and the people we support. Staff have been offered free vaccinations and, as in the case of the COVID-19 vaccine, we have been communicating with the people we support to ensure they either consent or not consent to the flu jab.
Photo credit: Mufid Majnun – Unsplash
This story was published in Strong Voices. The magazine is posted free to all IHC members.
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