Employees in sectors with high mobility, such as the aviation, mining resources and freight sectors pose an increased risk for wide dispersion of infections across long distances, and between jurisdictions should they contract SARS-CoV-2. Ensuring repeat testing and high vaccination rates among these workers will assist in mitigating the risk of COVID-19 transmission into the broader community, particularly into vulnerable populations.
There have been recent COVID-19 outbreaks among employees of the Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) mining sector and the aviation industry. Testing and vaccination of persons that are highly mobile in the Australian community is an important mechanism to protect not only individuals from acquiring SARS-CoV-2, but also reducing the likelihood of onward transmission.
Because of the risk of seeding of outbreaks across the country, AHPPC strongly encourages industries to promote and facilitate vaccination.
Any consideration of mandating vaccination in these work cohorts would require further work to address occupational health and specific industry based concerns.
The Australian Government will continue to consult with the FIFO and airline industry on how to encourage take up of vaccinations as well as the proposal to mandate vaccinations.