The AMA has called on National Cabinet to act urgently on nationally consistent public health orders for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for all healthcare workers and said legal protection should also be given to healthcare employers who mandate vaccinations for all their staff.
"Most health care providers in Australia are small businesses that don't have the time or resources needed to navigate complex work health and safety laws. We need to make it easier for them to be able to mandate vaccination, which is the best way to protect their staff and patients" AMA President, Dr Omar Khorshid said this week,
The AMA welcomed reports this week that Victoria will soon follow New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland and make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for healthcare workers, and also include GP and medical clinic staff in those mandates.
Dr Khorshid said this was a critical step, as other state public health orders did not necessarily cover all staff across state and territory health sectors - GPs were not included in some state directives for mandatory vaccination.
Dr Khorshid said the Federal Government needed to co-ordinate States and Territories through the National Cabinet to ensure a nationally-consistent approach to mandatory vaccination that included everyone - GPs and practice staff, pharmacists, hospital staff, ambulance staff, cooks and cleaners - leaving no exemptions, except for legitimate medical reasons.
