A statement from the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) says that while it “strongly encourages” aged care nurses and carers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, it is “concerned” that mandating vaccinations for the aged care workforce could be a “political decision, not a health decision”.
There is still confusion and insufficient detail about how mandatory vaccinations will be implemented for these workers, if there is enough supply of the vaccine, and the special paid leave assistance from the government only amounts to $30 per worker, according to the ANMF.
“The Morrison government’s promises for aged care just keep coming, but at this stage, there are more questions than answers,” said ANMF Federal Secretary, Annie Butler.
“The critical issues now are access to vaccines and support for aged care staff,” she said.
The vaccine roll-out in private aged care homes has been “an absolute shambles,” Butler said.
“We need guaranteed access to vaccines for all aged care workers and paid leave to support that access and management of any reactions they may experience.”
“We still don’t know how vaccinations will be mandated,” said Butler. “Will they access on-site where they work, or will they be forced to source their own?”
The ANMF has written to the Prime Minister with 14 questions seeking clarity urgently:
Aged care workers need clarity, not only for their health, but for the wellbeing and safety of the vulnerable residents they care for.
What do you think about the 14 questions raised above for the Prime Minister, by ANMF Federal Secretary, Annie Butler? Share your thoughts below.
This is just shamble. Sadly I am allergic on flu vaccination got pneumonia. Have been asking for help if I get sick I am very scared to get unwell. This is different injection I might need aspirate to ICU. However had asked vaccination staff got told that no such sickness is however all my staff are very sick temp 41 and limbs are not moving. So yet no body will immuniza me at work place and been told like this. There is not enough there is nothing here for you. I think this is bad to treat nurses this way. We will all walk out of this beautiful profession. Government is shamble no respect to staff or elderly. Lost few elderly to this stress is well. Now cutting nurses. Staff are so sick tired and we loose our job becouse if we had allergies we cannot feed our children. In first place who let elderly died last year it was government. Over it. Poor staff poor nurses and poor elderly.
I think the questions are great, they are straight to the point and seem to ask for both sides of the fence.
I don’t think anything of the 14 questions at all there should be no questions but a clear and concise no to mandatory COVD vaccinations. I do not agree with any staff having to undergo mandatory COVID vaccination to be able to work in aged care. If the union allows this to happen it means they are in the govt’s pocket.
Compulsory medical status for employment is not at all new. There are lots of jobs where Hep A Hep C, Flu, Tetanus and other things are required.
Some work requires frequent drug testing and some jobs are only available to non smokers due to patient/client allergies.
I can remember not being able to visit some hospital wards without particular medical status.
If a person is unable to have a vaccine, it may be time to look for a new job.
Ignoring the safety needs of the people you work with, to suit yourself, is not good.
It should be No No No to mandatory COVID vaccinations for staff. Never mind these 14 questions. Union should be for the workers. Workers themselves are responsible and most who are post wanting families etc will get the jab voluntarily. Everyone against this mandatory vaccination should be putting their comments here daily.
These clowns will not admit this COVID vaccination is still in “human experimentation stage” as stated publicly by U.S officials and not FDA approved. I did my own comment but of course they deleted it twice.