Covid-19 vaccinations should be compulsory and proof should be carried in ‘vaxports’

Australians should be forced to vaccinate against Covid – and those who refuse should be excluded from public activities, an SA MP says.

Australians should be forced to vaccinate against Covid-19 – and those who refuse should be excluded from public activities, a state MP says.

SA-Best Upper House politician Frank Pangallo has called for coronavirus vaccinations to be made compulsory.

Mr Pangallo said being vaccinated should be mandatory for workplaces, travel and when visiting public or hospitality venues.

Those who refused would be banned from leaving their home. He said those who had been vaccinated should carry a “vaxport” – proof they have been given the jab.

He said such vaccine passports would help authorities immediately and easily determine who has been vaccinated.

South Australian politician Frank Pangallo is calling for mandatory vacinations.

“While people might still have a choice whether or not to get vaccinated, what they can do in the community will need to be controlled and restricted,” Mr Pangallo said.

“They would need to be a requirement incorporated with QR code information that if you want to travel on public transport, airlines, enter venues, shopping malls, restaurants and cafes, you will need to show you have been vaccinated. It might also have to apply for workplaces.

“I understand people will think this is a rather drastic and draconian step, but this pandemic continues to evolve in ways and waves nobody can predict.

He also wants the restrictions on vaccines to be lifted so people have the choice of which vaccines to take rather than be forced to take ones they don’t want.

“Australia is on the cusp of a health and economic catastrophe which requires strong and decisive leadership to prevent the entire country going into lockdown,” he said.

Authorities have said the choice of vaccine is based on expert medical advice and supplies.

SA Health data shows more than 37 per cent of almost 510,500 people are fully protected with two vaccine doses.

South Australia has among the highest per capita data of doses with 43.3 jabs per 100 people.

Federal data shows almost 37 per cent of the population aged over 16 has a first dose but fewer than 14 per cent are fully protected with a second jab.

SA Health wants at least 80 per cent of the adult population vaccinated by October.

The vaccine rollout, which has come under fire for being sluggish, will widen from Monday with a new mass hub at Gawler and a Port Lincoln clinic expanded.

Chemists will also be able to administer jabs.

Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said authorities were investigating mandatory vaccines for high risk professions but not the wider population.

“This is a modern way of dealing with a pandemic and I’m pretty confident we will get very high rates of vaccine coverage in our state,” she said.

SA Health has more than 108,000 vaccines stockpiled – almost 57,000 of those Pfizer.

Health Minister Stephen Wade, who also did not support compulsory vaccinations, said another 25,000 Pfizer doses would be delivered into SA this week.

He said the public response was “good response so far”.

“I certainly agree with Professor Spurrier that we should continue to maintain our commitment to the Australian people that the vaccine will be free and voluntary,” he said.

“We don’t want to get people’s backs up because we’re talking about a general mandating to the general population.

“I’m very confident with the South Australian community as supplies become more available … we’ll have an effective vaccination rate to help us move out of this pandemic.

“I appreciate that it is almost 18 months since this pandemic started but I’m very confident in the spirit of the South Australian people. Every day, people are saying, let’s get this done. They’re committed to doing what’s necessary to protect public health.”