Kids’ jabs in limbo

DANIEL Andrews has doubled down on the government’s refusal to rule out making the Covid-19 vaccine mandatory for every Victorian child aged 5-11.

It comes after widespread confusion caused by the current mandates for children, and suggestions the restrictions on unvaccinated people could continue until 2023.

The Premier on Tuesday would not confirm if the government and health officials were considering a mandate for 5 to 11-year-olds, and said it was still “too early” to say whether a mandate was required for such a young cohort.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is yet to rule if either vaccine is safe for them, and needed given children don’t typically suffer serious illness from Covid.

Mr Andrews said the concept of a jab mandate for children wasn’t new, saying there were “no jab, no play” rules in “literally hundreds and hundreds of early childhood settings”.

He maintained it was justified to lock out 12-15-year-olds from large parts of society if they hadn’t received both doses, despite no other Australian state implementing such a harsh requirement.

“The virus doesn’t care if you’re 12, 13, 14, 15 or 105. It doesn’t matter,” he said.

But he refused to confirm if active discussions were underway within the government about plans to extend that mandate to primary school aged students.

The state government was on Monday night forced to wind back parts of its existing mandate to ensure unvaccinated students aged 12 and over could still attend camps, excursions, graduations and other school-based activities organised by their school, even if they are held at premises where jab requirements apply.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the confusion around vaccine rules had left kids feeling like a “pariah”.