Mandatory vaccination is now in effect – what next?

More than 98 per cent of residential aged care workers are reported as having received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 80 per cent of workers are fully vaccinated.
The focus of the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement will now shift to completion of second doses for all residential aged care workers and monitoring and compliance aligned with the public health orders.
Monitoring and compliance activity begins Wednesday
Using My Aged Care data, the Department will work with providers and facilities to understand if there are any unvaccinated workers and where there may be exemptions that apply.
From Wednesday this week, the department will review the data reported tomorrow and contact facilities directly to:
• ensure continuity of resident care standards as a priority
• understand the reasons for any non-medical exemptions or unvaccinated workers
• provide advice on the availability and access to a vaccine for unvaccinated workers
• provide advice on exemption requirements for the relevant state or territory public health order, and
• ensure exemptions have been reported correctly in the My Aged Care provider portal.
Providers have clear obligations under the public health orders to ensure accurate workforce vaccination reporting and record keeping processes are in place.
If contacted, facilities will be required to advise the Department of their strategy for addressing non-medical exemptions and increasing vaccination rates, including a plan to ensure all current workers not yet vaccinated receive a minimum first dose COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
Your strategy should consider overall vaccination rates at your facility, roles undertaken by unvaccinated workers, the transmission risk in your local area and other measures in place to prepare and manage the risk of COVID-19.

Source: Department of Health