All Victorian health workers facing mandatory jab rule

Every Victorian healthcare worker must have a Covid jab or lose their job as more sectors commit to mandatory vaccinations.

Every Victorian healthcare worker must have a Covid-19 jab or lose their job as the push for mandatory vaccinations gathers pace.

All public and private hospital workers, GP and medical clinic staff, paramedics and other health professionals will need to be fully vaccinated under an Andrews government plan.

The Herald Sun can also reveal Racing Victoria is demanding jockeys, trainers, stable staff, stewards and other employees must have had at least a single dose by Caulfield Cup Day on October 16.

The AFL will reveal its official policy within weeks and is expected to grant more freedoms to vaccinated players.

It comes after the Herald Sun on Tuesday revealed tens of millions of visitors to Crown, and every employee, will have to be fully vaccinated to enter all its resorts, including the Southbank mecca.

The construction industry is also under growing pressure to ensure its big workforce – accounting for about a third of Victoria’s new Covid cases – is vaccinated.

The Herald Sun understands the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee is preparing advice for national cabinet on Friday, in a bid for Australia-wide agreement on mandatory healthcare worker vaccinations.

More than 70 per cent of healthcare workers are already vaccinated. Picture: Mark Stewart

The Health Department has been in talks with hospital chiefs and health unions about the controversial move for weeks and has now endorsed a plan to make vaccination a requirement of employment.

St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne on Tuesday became Victoria’s first public hospital to make Covid vaccinations compulsory for all staff, contractors and volunteers.

That mandate will cover its 16 public and private hospitals and 23 aged-care facilities across three states, including its Victorian hospitals in Fitzroy, East Melbourne, Kew and Werribee. The deadline for all employees – more than 70 per cent of whom are already vaccinated – to be jabbed has not yet been set.

St Vincent’s Health chief executive Toby Hall said the measure was “fundamental to ensuring the safety of patients, residents and staff”.

“The current Covid outbreaks in NSW and Victoria – and the extremely contagious nature of the Delta variant – have confirmed for us that this the right policy for our services, our people, our patients and residents, and the community which depends on us,” he said.

NSW has already announced it will require all hospital workers to be fully vaccinated, while the commonwealth government has made it compulsory for aged-care workers to have had a jab by September 17.

Deputy Premier James Merlino on Tuesday said talks were under way as to which industries and sectors may be subjected to mandatory vaccinations.

“My view on vaccination is it’s our pathway through this pandemic and whether you’re a teacher, whether you’re an education support staff member or a student, get vaccinated,” he said.

All hospital workers, GPs and medical clinic staff, paramedics and other health professionals will need to be fully vaccinated. Picture: Daniel Pockett

Australian Medical Association President Omar Khorshid backed the move to mandate the Covid jab across the entire health system. “Patients who are unwell are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 and it is really important that staff are fully vaccinated in order to protect their co-workers and their patients,” Dr Khorshid said.

Under Racing Victoria’s vaccine edict, it will be a condition of entry for licenced participants to all Victorian racecourses and training centres, as well as RV headquarters at Flemington and ­offices. They will need to be fully vaccinated by November 27, bar those with a lawful exemption.

Two thirds of participants who completed an industry survey last week said they were fully or partially vaccinated.

A further 15 per cent said they intended to be vaccinated, while 10 per cent remained undecided. Eight per cent signalled their initial desire not to be vaccinated.

“Unlike other sports, racing operates on a year-round daily basis, with a highly mobile workforce, so it is therefore imperative we do our utmost to protect the health and safety of our workforce,” RV chief Giles Thompson said.

The AFL is expected to stop short of introducing a mandatory vaccination policy next season, but government and business rules will effectively make it impossible for players to compete without them.

The league will on Monday brief the AFL Commission about the progress of its regulations for players and officials.

The Herald Sun understands the league will have a lengthy list of rules that will allow vaccinated players freedoms that unvaccinated players will not be able to access.