Employers are encouraged to 'evaluate' their policies and contracts to stay updated
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has recently announced that the term “fully vaccinated” would be phased out and replaced with “up to date” and “overdue” when referring to COVID-19 vaccination.
Last month, ATAGI issued new clinical guidance explaining the use of the new terms, recommending that said changes occur at the end of March.
At the start of the pandemic, the term “fully vaccinated” was used in the context of public health orders and mandates that include border control, quarantine and certain workplaces. But ATAGI said that it recognises that changes in terminology may involve “legal and policy implications” that should be considered.
What HR needs to know
“Up-to-date vaccination” status is defined by the number and timing of appropriate COVID-19 vaccine doses recommended for and received by an individual, according to their age and other factors. Meanwhile, a person will be considered “overdue” if a booster has not been received within six months of completing their primary schedule.
ATAGI’s recommendations aim to provide the optimal individual and population protective vaccination benefits (over risks) and consider other factors, such as vaccine access.
According to the new guidelines, the COVID-19 vaccine's “up-to-date status will likely need to be modified over time,” as ATAGI releases recommendations based on future changes in research and as new evidence becomes available regarding booster doses.
What could HR do to accommodate ATAGI’s new recommendations?
In a media release, EMA Legal has encouraged employers to “regularly evaluate their COVID-19 policies,” saying that employers “may wish to adopt the new ‘up to date’ terminology in their vaccination policies or contracts [to] accommodate any future changes made by ATAGI [concerning] the recommended number of doses for COVID-19 vaccinations.”
“It is also the time to review approaches to vaccination more generally in policies where relaxation of measures has been forecast. A diligent approach to the issue as a matter of safety should continue to be the focus of employers, regardless of the application of directives or public health orders,” EMA Legal added.
