Aged Care in Australia

Influenza vaccine and the Covid injection 

Many aged care workers have contacted the AVN to find out their rights on both the influenza vaccine and the Covid injection.

Here is a link to the government webpage on Influenza resources

These are the current regulations for each Australian state and territory

Queensland

Mandatory flu vaccine for aged care workers

Protecting aged care residents

Aged Care Direction

New South Wales

Don’t Spread Flu

Australian Capital Territory

Advice for visitors to aged care facilities

Western Australia

Residential Aged Care Facilities

South Australia 

COVID-19 Information for Residential Aged Care Facilities

Victoria

Influenza vaccination advice for residential aged care staff and visitors

Tasmania

Aged Care Facilities and Flu

Northern territory

Residential aged care

Have you been asked to take a flu vaccine by your aged employer, but would like clarification on your rights?

These are some points to consider and steps to take:

a) Look through your contract of employment to determine whether your employer included approved vaccines (such as the flu vaccine) as a condition of employment.

If they did, it makes it more difficult to refuse to take the flu vaccine. However, if you decide to challenge your employer’s request, please do the following:

1) Please ALWAYS demand a reply to your letter which you give to your employer.

2) When sending a follow up letter, you should start by saying: “I wrote to you on [this date]…”

3) Always keep copies of the letters as these become “evidence” when putting forward your case.

4) Find others within your organisation who also disagree with the directive as there is power in numbers, as can be seen from this nurse in Houston, USA, who is challenging the Covid injection:  See: The Highwire

5) Go to your trade union and put in a complaint.

Further useful information:

These are forms and letters we have put together at the AVN if you wish to refuse the influenza vaccine.

Vaccine Refusal Forms

Influenza vaccination refusal letter

Other useful links with important studies:

SEND A LETTER: INFLUENZA VACCINE MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTION

Are you being intimidated to take a PCR test, wear a mask or take a vaccine?

Templates

COVID injection for Aged Care Workers – Updated 2nd July 2021

Until 28th June 2021, the Covid vaccine was not mandatory for aged care workers, as per the links below:

Information for residential aged care workers about COVID-19 vaccines

Aged care workers do not have to reveal if they’ve had COVID vaccination, says Department of Health

However, on 28th June 2021, Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, announced that the Covid vaccine would become mandatory for Aged Care workers, with the first jab required by September 2021. Read more: This has created a lot of concern for many people, and hundreds of aged care workers have reached out to the AVN, to Senator Malcolm Roberts, and to other activist groups around Australia asking what can be done.

The Nurses Professional Association of Queensland believe Covid vaccines should not be mandatory for Aged Care workers and they have set up a campaign to fight for nurses’ choice.

Our legal team has written the following two letters, which include a lot of excellent information about the Covid injection, which can be presented to employers. We are still working through the ramifications of these measures being taken by the Australian Government, and will update this webpage as further information becomes available.

MANDATES BY GOVERNMENT AND EMPLOYERS FOR EMPLOYEES OR POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES

Experimental Covid Injection