WHILE aged care centres blast through vaccinations for residents, the pressure is now on staff to get vaccinated, and protect the elderly from further outbreaks.
Swan Hill Hope Aged Care director, Afif Hadj, set a bold precedent when he warned staff last week if they didn’t get the jab they would not be rostered on.
In a survey by The Guardian, Mr Hadj was the only local aged care executive to provide a view on compulsory vaccination.
“We mandate that workers have to show proof of their flu vaccine – what’s different about COVID?” Mr Hadj said.
“COVID killed 800 people in Australia last year. Are they (experts) happy for that to repeated?”
Mr Hadj said he was happy to discuss the issue with staff.
“I am very happy to sit down and talk to any staff member who feels they should be exempt,” he said.
“But if there is no medical reason for it, I am not going to be very sympathetic to their cause.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week asked the national expert medical panel to reconsider its opposition to mandatory vaccinations.
