SHPA joins calls for mandatory vaccination of hospital workers

The Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia (SHPA) has joined calls for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for all hospital workers, as well as rapid antigen testing for hospital workers in jurisdictions where COVID-19 is present in the community.

SHPA President Peter Fowler says there is an urgent need to protect hospital workers, patients and visitors as community transmission increases while the COVID-19 vaccination program continues.

“Mandating broader vaccination uptake will help protect hospital workers, regardless of their profession, from becoming seriously unwell with COVID-19.

“With the current outbreaks in New South Wales, Victoria and the ACT, there are cumulatively thousands of hospital workers who are currently isolating or have had to recently isolate.

“Vaccination provides a powerful layer of protection, while reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This is crucial during this period of enormous strain on our frontline workers who are stretched by staffing state-run vaccination clinics in addition to maintaining core hospital services in a COVID-safe manner,” Fowler said.

SHPA joins a number of major national healthcare organisations and associations supporting a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees or members, while mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies for hospital workers have been announced across NSW Health, Queensland Health, WA Health and the Tasmanian Health Service.

Rapid antigen testing for workers entering hospital premises is a powerful additional testing strategy in areas where COVID-19 is circulating in the community, Fowler said.

“This fast, on-the-spot testing will help us detect unknown infection in hospital staff, to further protect them, their teams and their patients.

“As the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response indicates, COVID-19 will be present in the community after we have reached our vaccination targets. As long as the risk of infection — albeit lower — remains, we must use every tool at our disposal to protect the health and wellbeing of all Australians.”

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