Shots must for carers, say experts

EXPERTS are calling for governments to make it mandatory for childcare workers to have the flu shot after educators were quietly dropped from national advice to make “no jab no pay” compulsory.

While the coronavirus crisis prompted the Federal Government to enforce the influenza vaccine for aged care workers, News Corp Australia has been told the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee’s initial advice to childcare providers was staff and parents would not be allowed to enter a childcare centre without having had the flu shot but it was quickly amended to a recommendation.

Aggravating the issue is a severe shortage of influenza vaccinations with some councils having to do a public callout to secure supplies to vaccinate their childcare staff and national childcare chain G8, which has hundreds of centres across the country, forced to move in an in-house process.