It will be mandatory for staff working in early childhood education, ACT primary schools, out of school hours care, and specialist and flexible education to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of November.
“Given that children under the age of 12 will be unvaccinated as school starts to return … all possible measures need to be taken to surround these children with vaccinated people,” said Chief Minister Andrew Barr.
Under the Chief Health Officer’s direction, teachers, early childhood educators, learning and support staff, administrative staff (including building services and general services staff), canteen workers, cleaners, allied health professionals who regularly attend schools, and university students on placement must have their first-dose vaccination by 1 November, and their second dose by 29 November.
All school students will be back by 1 November, but some primary school students will have returned a week earlier.
Children of essential workers and vulnerable children have been attending school since the beginning of lockdown.
The ACT Government said this requirement would reassure parents of children under 12 – and particularly vulnerable children – that they were doing everything possible to reduce the risk of COVID-19 as children go back to school and early childhood education and care.
“There is a real need for our children who haven’t had the chance to be vaccinated yet … this is where we will see transmission if we do get seeding of the virus into these settings,” Chief Health Officer Dr Kerryn Coleman said.
“We want to greatly minimise that risk.”
Minister for Education and Youth Affairs and for Early Childhood Development, Yvette Berry, said “most school staff have already been vaccinated”, with a recent survey of school staff indicating a percentage “in the high 90s”.
“This will give parents, students and staff extra reassurance that we’re making their schools as safe as possible,” she said.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said mandatory vaccination for school staff was based on health advice, and was consistent with actions being taken in other jurisdictions.
“Early in this outbreak we saw a significant impact on our schools,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.
“This decision protects our youngest Canberrans. While children under 12 are less likely to experience severe symptoms of COVID-19, they don’t have an approved vaccine, and will be at risk of contracting and transmitting the virus. That’s why it’s so important that the adults working in schools with young and vulnerable children are vaccinated.”
Most teachers and education workers had already been vaccinated, Mr Barr noted.
Ms Berry said the government’s Education Directorate would consult public and non-government schools, unions, and the early childhood sector on implementing the public health direction.
“The Chief Health Officer has guided us through this pandemic, and it’s important that we keep following the expert health advice about how to reduce risk for those who can’t be vaccinated yet,” she said.
Further information, including the other COVID-safe measures being put in place in ACT schools, can be found on the ACT Education Directorate website.
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