Some healthcare workers won't require Covid-19 vaccination

Some healthcare workers won't require Covid-19 vaccination

10:55am

Some healthcare workers will not be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 from midnight on Thursday as the Government loosens its vaccination order for health workers.

A hospital ward (file photo). (Source: istock.com)

This week the Government is limiting the workers who must be vaccinated against Covid-19 to those who face a higher risk of contracting and transmitting the virus.

Health NZ say workers who are not public facing "in certain healthcare environments and/or do not provide healthcare services directly to patients", will no longer be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19.

Doctors and nurses will continue to be required to be vaccinated, as will workers who as part of their job come within two metres of patients or a health practitioner for 15 minutes or more.

All DHB staff were required to have their first vaccination by November 16, 2021 and their second vaccination by January 1, 2022, as well as a booster within six months of the second vaccination.

Health NZ said 96.8% of the DHB workforce was fully vaccinated and boosted.

However, nearly 1500 DHB staff were stood down, resigned or had their contracts terminated due to the Covid-19 vaccination order. This included 811 staff who were not doctors or nurses.

Health NZ said vaccination against Covid-19 continued to be highly recommended for all health and disability workers, while all districts are reviewing the new requirements and assessing what needs to be done to comply with the new rules.

https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/07/06/some-healthcare-workers-wont-require-covid-19-vaccination/