Businesses to offer jabs at work

Vaccination providers can now seek accreditation to administer COVID-19 vaccines at workplaces around Australia. A similar system is already in place for the yearly administration of flu vaccines. 

The jabs in jobs program marks the start of stage three of the government’s ‘National COVID Shield Campaign Plan’.

In announcing the planned rollout, Mr Hunt said the government had been constantly engaging with the business community to hear how corporate leaders felt they could best support widespread vaccine adoption. 

The program will also facilitate a range of other vaccine delivery methods, including additional support to vaccinate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other priority groups.

Pfizer or Moderna will be the primary vaccinations administered through the workplace vaccination programs, however workplaces will be able to order AstraZeneca if required.

The program is facilitated through a request for tender. The program will establish a panel of accredited COVID-19 vaccination providers that can be accessed by government entities, businesses and other organisations to support vaccination priorities.

The Australian government will pay accredited COVID-19 vaccination providers on the panel a fixed price per vaccine dose.

Businesses engaging COVID-19 immunisation providers from the panel will negotiate details of the arrangements directly with vaccination providers on the panel.

As with the broader vaccine rollout, businesses cannot seek any payment from patients for administration of the vaccine.

Mr Hunt said this program allowed Australia to further increase the overall size of the COVID-19 vaccination workforce, and to use the many offers of assistance from vaccination administrators and Australia’s business community.

“With the potential to reach Australians at places they already go to every day, this program will make it even easier for people to get vaccinated, while recognising the eagerness of businesses to help,” Mr Hunt said.