Tasmania's peak medical organisation says COVID-19 could "go wild" in childcare centres, and wants to see a vaccine mandate for workers in the sector.
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Tasmania is now the only state and territory without a vaccine mandate after Queensland, which was the second last, called a vaccine mandate on Wednesday.
Opposition parties have been calling on the government to implement such a mandate before the state's borders reopen on December 15.
Australian Medical Association state president Helen McArdle said the organisation would like to see a vaccine mandate for teachers, but particularly childcare workers, put in place now.
She said teachers and child care workers pose a significant risk to the children they care for.
"We know that government has been undertaking a risk assessment of all public sector jobs, which includes the education department, but obviously that doesn't flow into the private sector," Dr McArdle said.
"The thing we would like to see much sooner, in fact, we have raised it with government, is to have mandatory vaccinations for teachers and childcare workers... probably the urgency is with child care workers because the schools will soon be on holidays.
"Even if the vaccine is approved for 5 to 11 year olds, that misses all those aged under 5. And we know, just from everyday experience, that that group has a lot of sniffles, coughs, colds and other viral infections.
"If that group gets infected, through potentially a carer, or a child being infected and bringing it in, then obviously it can go wild, as anybody who has preschool children knows."
Dr McArdle said teacher mandated vaccinations were also preferred.
"Just to give that added protection," she said.
"Even if the vaccine for 5 to 11 year olds is approved, it will probably be January or February before it is rolled out, and school may have already started.
"We believe that both of these groups, teachers and child care workers, pose a significant risk to the children they care for."
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