What you need to know

• Mandatory vaccination announced for the Queensland disability workforce
• Once Queensland hits the target of 80 per cent of the population double dosed, unvaccinated people will be unable to visit vulnerable settings including disability accommodation services

The Queensland Minister for Health has announced mandatory vaccination is being introduced for Queensland’s disability workforce. The anouncement became effective from 10 November 2021.

Detailed information on the Workers in Health Care Setting (COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements) Direction is available here.

Following is a brief summary relevant to disability:

• Staff delivering ‘Disability Support Services’ (see definition below) must have received the prescribed number of doses of the vaccine by 15 December 2021.
  • Depending on the date of vaccination, this may be two doses or two doses plus a booster.
  • Vaccination requirements for students undertaking placement in a shared disability accommodation service are outlined in the Disability Accommodation Services Direction (No. 25) and are not impacted by this direction.

• Staff must provide evidence of vaccination to the employer and the employer must sight the evidence of vaccination and maintain a record. Sighting removes privacy issues regarding safe storage of personal information. Evidence may include a MyGov record or immunisation history from the Australian Immunisation Register.
• Medical contraindications and other exceptional circumstances for exemption are outlined in the direction, with the supporting risk mitigation strategies. The process for exemptions for critical workforce shortages can be found in Part 4 of the direction.

Disability support services are defined as:

• assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living environment
• group and centre-based activities that assist people with disability to access community, social and recreational activities in groups involving skilled and experienced support staff
• specialist supported employment which assists people with disability who have high support needs to maintain work in a social enterprise for example, sometimes referred to as Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs)
• assistance with daily personal activities - assistance with, or supervision of, personal tasks of daily life to develop skills of the participant to live as autonomously as possible
• community nursing care to respond to the disability-related health needs of a participant where that care is not the usual responsibility of the health system
• therapeutic supports to facilitate functional improvement aimed at adjustment, adaption, and building capacity for community participation
• other non-intensive supports including cooks and cleaners

 

Other changes

Queensland is expected to reach the target of 80 per cent of the population double dosed on or around 17 November, 2021. When the target is reached, unvaccinated people will be unable to visit vulnerable settings including disability accommodation services, residential aged care, hospitals and prisons. Exemptions exist for end-of-life visits, medical treatment, childbirth, and emergency situations. For more information and FAQ, see Queensland Government website

Article sourced from National DIsability Services