Vaccine mandates to end for some health and disability sector workers

Dear primary care friends

The COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Amendment Order (No 5) 2022 is now:

• Notified in the Gazette: https://gazette.govt.nz/notice/id/2022-sl2582
• Published online (as SL 2022/207): https://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2022/0207/latest/LMS713761.html

Please pass the following message on to your members/networks as soon as possible.

Vaccine mandates to end for some health and disability sector workers

The Government is amending the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021 so that the workers who must be vaccinated against COVID-19 are those who face a higher risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 in the workplace than in the wider community.

This means Government vaccine mandates for some health and disability sector workers are being removed.

From 11:59 pm on 7 July, workers who are not public facing in certain healthcare environments and/or do not provide healthcare services directly to patients, will no longer be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Key messages                                                                                           

Top-line messages

• The Government is changing the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021 as it relates to health and disability sector workers.
• The Government is limiting the workers who must be vaccinated against COVID-19 to those who face a higher risk of contracting and transmitting COVID-19 in the workplace than in the wider community.

Supporting messages – who is not mandated

• From 11:59 pm 7 July, workers who are not public facing in certain healthcare environments and/or do not provide healthcare services directly to patients, will no longer be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  This includes back-office staff who, for example, do the accounts for a GP and groups like the police and firefighters who may be first responders in the course of their duties but providing health services is incidental to their core work.
• Vaccination against COVID-19 continues to be highly recommended for all health and disability sector workers – including those in the aged care sector.

Supporting messages – who is still mandated

• Workers in medical centres/GP practices and pharmacies (such as receptionists, assistants) and whose role involves being within two metres or less of a health practitioner or a member of the public for a period of 15 minutes or more will be covered by the Vaccinations Order. 
• Health practitioners providing health services to patients in person including doctors, nurses and dentists will continue to be covered by the Vaccinations Order.
• Workers who are employed or engaged by certified providers – which includes hospitals, rest homes, or residential disability care facilities - and who, as part of their ordinary duties, come within two metres or less of a health practitioner or a person to whom health care services are provided for a period of 15 minutes or more will continue to be covered by the Vaccinations Order.

Supporting key messages - why

• These decisions have been made because requiring vaccination is no longer considered a proportionate response to the risk now posed by COVID-19. This is a result of high vaccination rates, the changing nature and perception of risk, and a significant portion of the population now having contracted and recovered from COVID-19.
• When reviewing whether health and disability sector workers should still be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the Ministry of Health considered workers across the sector based on the different workplaces and the ongoing level of risk in those environments.
• The Ministry of Health considers there is still a high risk for workers who work directly with people who may have COVID-19 or people who are at high risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 and for those who work directly in aged care or with vulnerable and/or disabled people. 

• The risk level in different workplaces has been considered using these criteria:
• the nature of the work and the work setting, in terms of the risk of exposure to COVID-19 compared to being in the broader community
• the nature of the work and the work setting and the interaction with people who are at greater risk of severe disease should they contract COVID-19.

Ngā mihi

Angela Paul (she/her)

Engagement Lead – National Immunisation Programme

Interim Health New Zealand

M   +64 (27) 240 7066

E    angela.paul@health.govt.nz 

W   https://www.hnz.govt.nz