CSA has written to the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Hon Greg Hunt, seeking that school and early learning staff are included in Phase 2a of the Commonwealth's COVID-19 Vaccination Program.
At present the "Other critical and high risk workers" to be included in this Phase of the program are not defined. The Government has been relying on Preliminary advice on general principles to guide the prioritisation of target populations in a COVID-19 vaccination program in Australia from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) which we believe is deficient.
The identification of ‘Those working in services critical to societal functioning‘ in the preliminary advice from ATAGI does not include teachers or other staff working in schools or early learning centres. This seems to be completely at odds with the importance placed on the operation of schools and early learning centres during the peak phase of the pandemic last year.
Phase 2a is expected to commence in May/June this year.