The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has removed its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for staff.
AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw announced the change in a letter to staff, which was obtained by Senator Gerard Rennick and reviewed by The Epoch Times.
Titled “Revocation of Commissioner’s order on COVID-19 vaccination, the letter details the reasons for the lifting of the mandate.
“Following an extensive review of public health advice, operational requirements, and agency consultation, I have endorsed the commissioner’s order on COVID-19 vaccination and the AFP National Guidelines on COVID-19 mandatory vaccinations,” the letter states.
“I want to thank all members who provided feedback to the consultation project committee for their contribution to this ...”
The revocation follows a Supreme Court ruling one year ago in Queensland that found vaccine mandates on some frontline and public service workers breached human rights laws.
Justice Glenn Martin ruled in Feb. 2024 that the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Ambulance Service policies breached part of the Human Rights Act.
The AFP confirmed to The Epoch Times that the condition for all staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 had been lifted.
“The AFP has revoked the AFP Commissioner’s Order 10, which mandated compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations for all AFP employees and contractors, effective Feb. 24, 2025,” an AFP spokesperson said.
“The AFP takes the safety, health, and wellbeing of all its people seriously, and this decision is based on consideration of government health advice and operational requirements.”
Senator Rennick, who first shared the news, said he was now hoping the Australian Defence Force (ADF) would follow suit.
“The AFP have finally lifted the COVID vaccine mandates so that’s one less question I have to ask,” he wrote on Facebook.
“The Defence Department still needs to drop theirs as well and I will pressure them to do so...”
Trump Reinstates Service Members
The move by the AFP comes one month after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reinstate service members who were dismissed for refusing the COVID vaccine. The order ensures they receive full back pay and benefits.From 2021 to 2023, the Biden Administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discharged more than 8,000 troops from their U.S. military roles solely due to their COVID-19 vaccination status.
According to a White House document, the ban on unvaccinated service members resulted in a shortfall of 41,000 recruits in the 2023 financial year.
