Covid-19: Allied Health jab mandate under review as booster rates remain sluggish despite official jab blitz

The vaccination mandates for healthcare staff will remain in place despite a shortage of workers and SA’s sluggish third-dose rate. Take our poll.

The requirements for allied health care workers to be “fully” vaxxed will remain in place following a Covid-19 jab mandate review and new data showing the rate of South Australians having a third dose is sluggish.

Premier Peter Malinauskas ordered SA Health to examine how to ease allied health vaccine rules that affect professionals such as physiotherapists, chiropractors or podiatrists.

But Health Minister Chris Picton on Tuesday the rules would remain.

Under current directions, healthcare employees must have a third dose to be eligible to work despite rules easing in other sectors, notably police, education and the transport network.

Health Minister Chris Picton said there was “clear advice” that mandates were necessary for people in workplaces that impact high-risk settings.

“Those definitions have been set at a national level through AHPPC,” Mr Picton said.

Mr Picton said the Malinauskas government had been recruitmenting internationally and interstate for healthcare workers in a bid to ease pressure on the workforce, but could not “just click (our) fingers and have a whole bunch of healthcare workers appear on the spot”.

Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier agreed it was too soon to ease those mandates.

“I’ve given very clear advice that we are not out of the woods in term of the pandemic,” she said.

“Healthcare workers provide important care to the most vulnerable in our community ... (so) we need to think of levels of risk mitigation.

“My recommendation is that we stay as we are, which is consistent with the majority of states around Australia. This is not the time to make any changes.”

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens with Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Malinauskas had said on the weekend it was a “possibility” to ease rules to combat shortages but he was awaiting advice from Chief public health officer Nicola Spurrier.

Today she said it was too soon to ease those mandates.

“I’ve given very clear advice that we are not out of the woods in term of the pandemic,” she said.

“Healthcare workers provide important care to the most vulnerable in our community ... (so) we need to think of levels of risk mitigation.

“My recommendation is that we stay as we are, which is consistent with the majority of states around Australia. This is not the time to make any changes.”

The details emerged as SA Health figures show more than 30,000 people have received a third jab while almost 92,000 older patients have received a fourth “winter” dose over the past two months.

But almost 367,000 eligible adults older than 16 – or nearly 30 per cent of the wider population – have failed to get their booster despite urgent pleas to be fully protected against Omicron.

Health Minister Chris Picton defended the campaign. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

Commonwealth data shows SA has the second highest percentage of eligible people receiving their third dose.

Despite the government’s crusade – dubbed “double vaxxed isn’t fully vaxxed” – the rate has risen just one per cent since May 8, with fewer than 73 per cent of the population inoculated. Health Minister Chris Picton, pictured, said while the vast majority of people received their third dose earlier this year, the campaign was “all about talking to a harder-to-reach cohort”.

“The campaign is also motivating other South Australians to get fully vaccinated for Covid, including our most vulnerable to get their fourth winter dose,” he said.

Opposition health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn said it’s disappointing an advertising blitz that cost taxpayers $2m has “barely nudged the dial when it comes booster shots”.