
Mandatory jabs announced for aged care and quarantine workers.
Aged care and quarantine workers will be compelled to get a COVID-19 jab and doctors allowed to give the AstraZeneca shot to under-60s, as governments seek to revive the vaccine rollout.
The prime minister met with state and territory leaders for a virtual national cabinet meeting on Monday, as the proportion of fully vaccinated Australians stood at just under five per cent.
Timely update that Australia's vaccine rollout is still the worst in OECD, and still not on target. pic.twitter.com/o4V6P8oR0o
— Antoun Issa (@antissa) June 28, 2021
Until now the advice from medical experts has been not to force workers to be vaccinated. But Mr Morrison said that advice had changed and state public health orders and Commonwealth measures would be used to enforce the new rules, with the aim of completing the task by mid-September.
"This has been a difficult group to get vaccinated (but) ... I'm pleased we have finally got here tonight," he said.
Advocates in the sector have been concerned forced vaccinations will lead to a flood of staff leaving, or large gaps in rosters as workers are impacted by vaccine side-effects.
To make this easier, the federal government will provide $11 million to cover paid leave for workers having vaccinations.
$11 million to fund leave for aged care workers is completely inadequate. There are over 180k workers - they need 2 doses and 25% of them will experience side effects that require time off work.
— Liam O'Brien (@lbobrien) June 28, 2021
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