Aged care workers could soon be required to receive three doses of an approved COVID-19 shot in order for their vaccination status to be considered up-to-date.
The change has been recommended by the body responsible for major decisions involved in managing public health emergencies, and the advice has been prepared for the national cabinet's consideration.
The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) recommended adopting ATAGI's updated position on the standard for being up-to-date with vaccinations in an effort to provide aged care workers with protection against infection and severe disease.
"Residents of aged care facilities are among the most vulnerable to severe outcomes of COVID-19," the AHPPC said in a statement.
"Residential aged care settings are a very high-risk transmission setting for COVID-19 … it is important to take reasonable and proportionate steps to mitigate the likelihood of COVID-19 being introduced."
The AHPPC pointed to high rates of transmission of the Omicron variant in Australia increasing the risk of aged care patients being exposed to the strain.
"Ensuring workers have received three doses of vaccine has a direct impact on reducing transmission to residents of aged care [facilities] by preventing infection in workers," it said.
