Public Health will next week make a decision on whether child care workers should be mandatorily vaccinated against COVID-19.
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It was announced on Thursday that Public Health would consult with the child care sector on the proposal this Monday, two days before the state's borders reopen.
Mandatory vaccinations have been so far required for health and aged care workers as well as anyone who provides in-home aged care services, including volunteers.
There was a mandate that certain disability support workers be vaccinated from last month.
Public Health Services director Mark Veitch on Thursday said information had been gathered over the past week to understand the vaccination coverage of the diverse sector and the impact of a vaccination mandate on its work.
"I am inclined to issue a mandate to this sector to require staff to be vaccinated to work in it," he said.
"I think that would provide confidence in the measures taken to protect staff and children involved in that sector and it will also be consistent with the approach to educational settings."
Dr Veitch said 95 per cent of Tasmanians aged over 16 had received their first dose of COVID vaccine and close to 90 per cent were fully vaccinated.
"We are in a pretty good place to think carefully about this and make sure the decision is made based on sound evidence," he said.
Dr Veitch said much of the state's population weren't vaccinated when the earlier mandates were introduced.
"And if Delta had come into our population then when we had perhaps 60 per cent vaccinated, it would have gone off like a bomb," he said.
Labor's Josh Willie said questioned why consultation with the child care sector had been left so late.
"It is almost like an afterthought when childcare workers need more support and respect and parents need urgent assurance that their children will be kept safe," he said.
"Children under the age of five cannot be vaccinated so everything possible needs to be done to ensure they are protected.
"Unlike the state school system, childcare centres do not go on holidays over summer."
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Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
Political reporter for Australian Community Media, based in Hobart.
