VACCINE | COVID-19 jabs for aged care volunteers

23/08/2021

Vaccines for ‘Residential Aged Care Facility Workers’

Vaccination of residential aged care facility (RACF) workers, in reach workforce, students and volunteers engaged by the RACF will become mandatory in the next month. Workers must receive at least the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (all are eligible for Pfizer) by 17 September 2021 to enter a residential aged care facility from this date onwards.

Download: Information sheet outlining who needs to be vaccinated here.
Download: 'The Residential Aged Care Facility Worker Access Directions' (the Directions), as outlined in the Public Health Act 2016 (WA) here.
Download: Frequently Asked Questions sheet here.

Summary:

From 12.01 am on 17 September 2021, the ‘Residential Aged Care Facility Worker Access Directions (the Directions)’ will come into effect. These Directions outline in what instances a COVID-19 vaccine is mandatory within aged care facilities and who is defined as a residential aged care facility worker.

Under these Directions, see Column 1 of Schedule 1 for the five (5) classifications/examples of who is defined as a residential aged care facility worker (exemptions are noted in Column 2).
Where residential aged care facility worker is noted, this includes those in a voluntary or unpaid capacity, other than ad hoc volunteers.
An ad hoc volunteer is defined as ‘a person who provides goods or services at a residential aged care facility in a voluntary or unpaid capacity and does so on an ad hoc basis (no more than once per week) only.’

Volunteering WA will continue to work with government to seek clarification in relation to volunteers, and will provide further information in due course.