New questions and answers will be added from time to time so keep checking back for new information. New entries display at the top of the page.

Note: Should you have a medical reason for not being vaccinated against Covid-19 and/or be concerned about termination of your employment being under consideration by your employer please contact NZNO for advice or support on 0800 28 38 48.

COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021

On 23 January 2022, the Government updated the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order to require people working in a variety of settings to receive booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccine (i.e. three doses in total for most people).

The following groups of NZNO members are covered by the Order:

  • Members working in managed isolation and quarantine facilities (MIQ), 
  • Members working in the health and disability sector, 
  • Members working in prisons, 
  • Members working at the border (e.g. ports and airports), 
  • Members working in the education sector (e.g. schools). 

Members working in MIQ, in the health and disability sector or at the border must receive their booster dose before the later of either:

  • 25 February 2022, or,
  • The date 183 days after the date on which they were fully vaccinated (for most people, when they received their second dose). 

Members working in prisons and the education sector must receive their booster dose before the later of either 

  • 1 March 2022, or,
  • The date 183 days after the date on which they were fully vaccinated (for most people, when they received their second dose). 

All NZNO members covered by the Order should have been fully vaccinated (two doses for most people) by 1 January 2022. 

NZNO supports the Government's policy of requiring health care workers to be vaccinated. Most health care workers are already vaccinated, and this Order provides reassurance and certainty to both health care workers and the public accessing health care services. 

The safety and wellbeing of health care workers is the key to overcoming the Covid-19 crisis and high levels of community vaccination help keep NZNO members safe. 

For clarity, a mandatory vaccination order simply means the Government has decided that Covid-19 vaccination is essential for people filling the affected roles. It does not mean that anyone is forced to get a vaccine.  

It is NZNO's view that members who are covered by the Order and decline the vaccine are potentially putting their jobs at risk. Being vaccinated has become a legal expectation of health care workers. Based on recent case law, NZNO does not see a wide range of options for members who choose not to be vaccinated for reasons other than any legal exemption.

Vulnerable workers

Question:

What about vulnerable workers, i.e. those who are over 70 and/or have an underlying health condition?

Answer:

DHBs have worked with clinical experts to create an assessment process for everyone over 70 and those at-risk. This assessment process:

  • Has been developed by occupational health physicians from around New Zealand;
  • Considers several factors including, work location, health risks of an individual, and other relevant information;
  • Is evidence-based and allows quick decision-making by the DHB for individuals who are potentially vulnerable or at-risk from COVID-19;
  • Allows flexibility to consider moving vulnerable or at-risk people to lower risk work areas;
  • Provides options for backfilling vulnerable or at-risk people with appropriately skilled colleagues from other areas; and
  • Provides assurance that any health information gathered as part of this process will be held in confidence.

 If you're 70 years of age or older, or you're identified as ‘at-risk’, the Occupational Health and Safety team at your DHB will provide further information about how to complete a self-assessment tool that tells you what to do next.

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