A leading figure in one of the Australian efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine spoke about the national response to the pandemic while addressing a West Wimmera Health Service annual meeting.

CSIRO Health and Biosecurity Business Unit director Dr Rob Grenfell was guest speaker at the annual meeting, presented via a Zoom online platform.

Health service chief executive Ritchie Dodds said Dr Grenfell, who grew up in Horsham and lives at Natimuk, provided an ‘informative and engaging’ presentation on the virus.

“It was particularly pleasing to hear Dr Grenfell mention how well state-regulated aged-care facilities, such as ours, have weathered the COVID-19 storm, due mainly to the skilled and higher number of staff we have compared with most privately run homes,” he said.

“He also commended the high-quality infection control people and systems we employ.

“We are very grateful to the entire team at WWHS and the way everyone has responded so well to the coronavirus threat.”

Health-service board president Anne Rogers also highlighted the accomplishments and the COVID-19 response.

Officials also presented the service’s report of operations for the year ending June 30, 2020 to the meeting.

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