The Government announced this week that the COVID-19 vaccination will become mandatory for residential aged care workers by mid-September 2021. Please find further information around what we know so far.
While the deadline for vaccination is a few months away, we strongly recommend you have your vaccine as soon as possible. The current COVID-19 situation in the Sydney region reminds us of how quickly the situation can change and that the virus remains an imminent threat in our communities. The vaccine is our best defence against COVID-19.
Do I need to have both vaccines by mid-September?
You must have received at least your first dose of the vaccine by this time. However, please consider having the vaccine sooner.
Do I need to do anything after I receive my vaccination?
As the COVID-19 vaccine is mandatory for residential aged care workers, Whiddon is required to report to the Government on our staff vaccination rates. It is important that you send evidence of your vaccination to payroll@whiddon.com.au as soon as you receive it. Please note, reporting is based on compliance numbers only and does not include personal details.
Will I need to have the vaccine to work in residential aged care?
Yes. The requirement will be a condition of working in any residential aged care facility in Australia.
Will there be any exemptions?
We are currently awaiting advice as to whether any exemptions will apply. We will share this information once we receive it.
Will I get support to have my vaccine?
Yes. We will share more information on what this means once we know more. Please talk to your Manager if you are going to get vaccinated.
What vaccine will I have access to?
Going forward, residential aged care employees will be offered the Pfizer vaccine through all in-reach and on-site clinics. Aged care workers accessing a vaccination through off-site clinics
will also be offered Pfizer once it is available – this includes through GPs and Commonwealth vaccination clinics.
The Commonwealth will also encourage state and territory clinics to offer Pfizer, noting in the immediate term, workers aged 60 and over may be offered AstraZeneca and will continue to have access to AstraZeneca if they wish through either GPs, Commonwealth clinics or state clinics.
Where can I access the vaccine from currently?
You can access a vaccine through state and territory vaccination clinics, Commonwealth vaccination clinics and GPs.
Will there be any vaccination in-reach clinics at Whiddon?
This is something Whiddon has been advocating for. We will share more around this, once we have any further information. We don’t know how quickly these will be offered so we would still encourage you to get vaccinated earlier if you can.
What if I feel unwell after receiving the vaccine, will I still get paid?
There will be support available to cover payment for a period of time you may be unwell if you are a casual employee and do not have any leave entitlements.
I’m worried about vaccine safety, where can I find out more about this?
All vaccines are thoroughly tested for safety before they are approved for use in Australia. This includes careful analysis of clinical trial data, ingredients, chemistry, manufacturing and
other factors.
According to the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), since the beginning of the vaccine roll out to 27 June 2021, there have been over 7.3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines
administered in Australia. Of these, the TGA has reported only 0.4% of adverse events following vaccination. That is, 4.6 cases of adverse events per 1,000 doses. The most common
adverse events are headache, muscle and joint pain, fever, chills and injection site reactions.
More information about COVID-19 vaccination safety can be found at the following websites:
• www.tga.gov.au
• www.health.gov.au
You can also talk to your GP if you have any questions about the vaccine.
By getting vaccinated, you are protecting yourself, your loved ones and those around you, from severe COVID-19. It is also likely that once a large amount of people are vaccinated, this will decrease the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
This information is relevant as of 1 July 2021. We will communicate any further updates with you.