Confusion over vaccine rules for interstate travellers from the ACT

Health officials have been slammed for confusing travel rules after what appears to be a backflip on vaccination requirements.

Canberrans in NSW or Victoria could face a headache on their way home after the ACT government appeared to have retrospectively changed its Covid-19 vaccination rules.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr announced on October 18 that quarantine would be scrapped for fully vaccinated residents returning from NSW from November 1.

Days later, Mr Barr announced the same rule for residents visiting Victoria from November 1.

But ACT Health now says it won’t consider an Canberra resident to be fully vaccinated if they got they second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine fewer than 14 days before they left.

The backflip means some travellers have been put into – or are facing – 14 days of quarantine because the rule was only specified after they had already left the ACT and made their way back.

Coronavirus vaccines take up to two weeks to provide the maximum level of protection, but Australians are issued a vaccination certificate almost immediately after receiving their second dose.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr last month announced the relaxation of quarantine rules for residents visiting Victoria and NSW. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

ACT Health on Wednesday night claimed the rule had always been in place and that it would make its website “clearer”.

“As was outlined in the online exemption form, travellers are considered fully vaccinated if: They have received two or more doses of a TGA-approved vaccine for Covid-19, at least 14 days prior to travel,” a spokeswoman said.

But the department has received significant criticism from frustrated ACT residents for what one social media user called “bureaucratic overreach”.

Another person called the rules: “Unfair on those who had acted in good faith” by leaving the ACT while they believed they would be considered fully vaccinated by its health officials.

Chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said a small number of people were caught by the rule but that ACT Health would work with them to see if their isolation period could end once 14 days had passed since their second jab.

“Whenever the Chief Minister has discussed fully vaccinated he has always communicated that it does take two weeks to be fully vaccinated and have the full effects of vaccination,” Dr Coleman said in defence of the rule.

“The communication around being fully, effectively vaccinated is two weeks after your second dose of vaccine.”

However, the ACT government, like its counterparts in other Australian states and territories, has counted people in its daily Covid-19 updates as being fully inoculated as soon as they receive their second dose.

Originally published as Confusion over vaccine rules for interstate travellers from the ACT