Table 2.
COVID-19 mandatory vaccination policies for HCWs in Australia
| State | WA [8, 19] | NSW [4, 15, 20] | Victoria [3, 21] | Queensland [2, 22] | Tasmania [23, 24] | SA [7, 25] | Northern Territory [5, 26] | Australian Capital Territory [6, 27] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Policy Name | COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination – Employee Restrictions on Access to Health Care Facilities – Guidelines (Guidelines) | Public Health (COVID-19 Vaccination of Health Care Workers) Order 2021 | Pandemic COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Specified Facilities) Order No. 1. | COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Requirements (Contact by Health Workers with Cases) Direction |
Public Health Act 1997
DIRECTION UNDER SECTION 16 (Mandatory Vaccination of Certain Workers – No. 3) |
Emergency Management (Healthcare Setting Workers Vaccination) (COVID-19) Direction 2021 | COVID-19 Directions (No. 55) 2021: Directions for mandatory vaccination of workers to attend the workplace | Public Health (Health Care and Support Workers COVID-19 Vaccination) Emergency Direction 2021 |
| Date enacted for first HCWs | 16/09/2021 | 29/09/2021 | 15/12/2021 | 31/03/2021 | 31/10/2021 | 01/11/2021 | 13/10/2021 | 15/10/2021 |
| Enacted under | Public Health Act 2016 (WA) |
Public Health Act 2010 (NSW)
22/08/2023 |
Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (VIC) | Public Health Act 2005 (QLD) | Public Health Act 1997 | Emergency Management Act 2004 (SA) | Public and Environmental Health Act 2011 (NT) | Public Health Act 1997 (ACT) |
| Date ended and process | 05/04/2023: COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination and Vaccination Program Policy | Superseded by Occupational Assessment, Screening, and Vaccination Against Specified Infectious Diseases Policy | Not rescinded: superseded by Secretary Directions 13/10/2022 |
02/09/2022: Revoked by Revocation of Workers in healthcare setting (COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements) Direction (No. 4) | 30/06/2022 Latest rendition: Public Health Act 1997 DIRECTION UNDER SECTION 16 (Mandatory Vaccination of Certain Workers – No. 12) lapsed. | 14/10/2022: Emergency Management (Healthcare Setting Workers Vaccination No. 7) was ceased | 22/4/2022: Revoked by Public and Environmental Health Act 2011 COVID-19 Directions (No. 53) 2022: Revocation of COVID-19 Directions (No. 55) 2021 | 13/05/2022: Revoked by Public Health (Health Care and Support Workers COVID-19 Vaccination) Emergency Direction Revocation 2022 |