NSW Considers Dropping Vaccine Mandates for Health Workers

A health worker prepares a vaccine for clients in Sydney, Australia, on Dec. 1, 2021. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

The New South Wales (NSW) government is considering dropping vaccine mandates for health workers as it acknowledges a need to review its COVID-19 pandemic measures.

During an interview with 2GB Radio, NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said the state government would consult with the health workforce to see whether it was necessary to abolish the pandemic-era requirements.

“We know that COVID is still around, but we’ve got to get back on with life,” he said.

“That means having a look at the measures we put in place during this period and seeing whether they still apply.

“We think this is one that we can engage with the workforce on and have a look to see if it’s still applicable now.”

Nevertheless, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said the state would strongly recommend health workers continue to take COVID-19 boosters even if the consultation resulted in the removal of the vaccine mandates.

At the same time, Ms. Chant believed COVID-19 still posed significant risks to the public.

“COVID-19 vaccination continues to provide strong protection against severe illness, particularly for people at higher risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19, including older adults and those with underlying health conditions,” she said.

“While the latest evidence shows most people have now developed protection from serious disease due to vaccination and/or previous infection, COVID-19 remains a serious public health issue.”

Sacked Health Workers Might Reapply for Jobs

Mr. Park also stated that a vaccine mandate drop, if approved, could open the door for workers who lost their jobs to reapply.

“If their job becomes vacant, or if there’s still that job available, they'll obviously be able to put in an application through that normal process should we make a decision to drop these mandates,” he said.

The NSW government introduced the vaccine mandates in August 2021, requiring all healthcare workers in the state to comply or face the risk of being sacked.

NSW is among the Australian states and territories that still implement vaccine mandates for health workers despite a nationwide removal of pandemic measures for the general public during the post-pandemic period.

The Australian Capital Territory dropped the mandates for healthcare workers and teachers in 2022, while Queensland health and ambulance staff were no longer required to take COVID-19 vaccines in September 2023.

In addition, Mr. Park said there was a need for the government to review the measures implemented during the height of the pandemic.

“We’ve also got to make sure that we get on with running a health system after COVID, and we can’t continue in the same way that we did in the middle of the pandemic,” he said.

Mr. Park’s statement comes a month after the Supreme Court of Queensland declared that the vaccine mandates imposed on police officers and ambulance service workers during the pandemic were unlawful under the state’s own human rights laws.

Following the ruling, Queensland’s health minister announced that workers who were sacked due to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate were welcome to reapply.