Emma Broxham calls for apology over Queensland’s Covid vaccination mandates

A family day care educator who refused to get vaccinated says nothing will ever compensate for the emotional and financial stress she suffered during the height of Queensland’s covid crackdown.

Mackay region educator Emma Broxham was forced to step down from her job for six months because of Covid vaccination mandates. Picture: Contributed

A family day care educator says nothing will ever compensate for the emotional and financial stress she suffered during Queensland’s covid vaccination crackdown.

Emma Broxham is one of many across the state waiting for an apology in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling the government had acted illegally and violated human rights in mandating vaccinations for dozens of police and health workers.

The Mackay region family daycare operator, who is calling for those accountable to be held responsible, said she was ostracised and financially crippled after she refused to buckle under pressure to get vaccinated.

“I knew what was coming … (but) I was trying to bide time and fight back a little bit,” Mrs Broxham said as she recalled watching Queensland trail behind other states in forcing educators to get the jab.

Mackay region educator Emma Broxham was forced to step down from her job for six months because of Covid vaccination mandates. Picture: Contributed

The Seaforth educator said her family daycare scheme warned of a crackdown with children actually in Mrs Broxham’s care when she received a call saying she was not allowed to work and would not be getting paid for any hours that day.

She said the insistent vaccination messaging had produced an atmosphere in which a few of her clients no longer felt comfortable with her unvaccinated status, with others becoming mad after her mandatory six months off work inconvenienced their own schedules.

“I had people turning their noses up at me,” she recalled, adding people called her selfish for not doing her part for herd immunity.

But she credited her “very supportive parents” with helping her and her husband keep going, including when they could no longer afford mortgage repayments.

“We lost quite a few amazing educators from our region due to the mandates that haven’t returned, adding to the immense pressure of the lack of childcare availability,” Mrs Broxham said.

She said it was frightening to learn researchers had now linked Covid jabs to rare heart, brain and blood disorders as she called for those behind the mandates to face consequences, alleging a few had “coincidentally” decided to retire or change roles “all of a sudden” to avoid scrutiny.

Originally published as Emma Broxham calls for apology over Queensland’s Covid vaccination mandates