Vaccine rights to rest with states

STATE governments will be given the power to decide if restaurants and venues can refuse entry to people who cannot prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The federal government on Sunday revealed people would be issued with immunisation certificates through the Medicare app, but Government Services Minister Stuart Robert said states would be in charge of deciding what the jab would allow people to do.

“When it comes to workplace laws they are the purview of the states and territories,” Mr Robert (pictured) said.

“We would be expecting them to issue public health orders if they see fit, so I will leave that to the states and territories.

“What the federal government does is provide a record of vaccination to Australians should the need to be there for Australians to use it.”

It is expected some highrisk workplaces including aged care homes and hospitals will require proof of inoculation as a condition of entry.

Certificates may also be required when entering or leaving hot spots and cross state lines in the case of outbreaks.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese said he expected some workplaces to mandate vaccinations against COVID-19 as a condition of entry.

“There’s a range of jobs now for which you have to, for example, show that you have a flu vaccine,” he said.

“That needs to be worked through.”

The immunisation certificates – which will also be made available in physical form – will be ready to go from the first Pfizer vaccination expected this month.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley said he needed clarification from the commonwealth about “what we’re getting and when we’re getting it” before he would consider how vaccination records would be used.