Vax heat turns to the fans

NO JAB, no entry.

With sporting organisations grappling with mandatory Covid vaccination for their players, attention has turned to calling on all fans to be vaccinated.

Wimbledon started the international trend and with the Ashes on the horizon, Cricket Australia confirmed fans might need to present passports this summer.

With the AFLW season also looming, the AFL is considering its options, however, some club chiefs are advocating for fans to be barred from attending games if they haven’t been jabbed.

But a spokesman for the AFL said: “The AFL has an internal working group liaising with medical professionals, clubs, players and the AFLPA on our vaccination policy and process heading into the 2022 AFL and AFLW seasons.”

“We will work with governments and health authorities to ensure we continue to do everything to comply with the varying guidelines in each state and territory that are in place to keep the community safe.”

Doctor Pip Inge, Cricket Australia’s women’s team doctor and chief medical officer of the WBBL/BBL, said although vaccination had not been mandated for players there had been 100 per cent compliance of Australian contracted players.

“We didn’t mandate but we did stipulate that to be eligible for an overseas tour you had to be vaccinated,” Dr Inge said.

“And within the domestic program, we are strongly encouraging vaccination. We also had to take into account accessibility to vaccines which until recently, wasn’t readily accessible for many of our players.

“The reality is, with state government border crossings are a privilege ... players who are not vaccinated will have to adhere to stricter biosecurity protocols.

“They may not be eligible to cross borders.

“We also anticipate certain venues to stipulate everyone in attendance must be vaccinated but that said by the time the International women’s series against India starts later this month, all our team and support staff will be vaccinated.”