23 March 2022

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Vaccines: AHPPC statement on mandating booster vaccination for disability support workers

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) has published a statement that recommends mandatory COVID-19 booster vaccinations for disability workers providing intensive supports to NDIS participants.

Key points

AHPPC statement recommending mandatory booster vaccination for disability workers

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) is the key decision making committee for health emergencies. It is comprised of all state and territory Chief Health Officers and is chaired by the Australian Chief Medical Officer.

Following recent advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), the AHPPC has announced that it recommends mandatory COVID-19 booster vaccination (three doses) for disability support workers who provide intensive support services to NDIS participants as a condition of work or entry to the participants’ accommodation.

The AHPPC had previously recommended mandatory vaccinations (two doses) for disability support workers who provide intensive support services to NDIS participants but in view of the changed ATAGI advice, this recommendation is now three vaccine doses.

Current high rates of community transmission of the Omicron variant in Australia increases the risk of exposure to participants receiving intensive supports. Ensuring workers have received three doses of vaccine has a direct impact on reducing transmission to people with disability receiving supports by preventing infection in workers.

You can read the statement from the AHPPC on the Department of Health website.

Mandatory booster vaccination requirements in local jurisdictions

All states and territories have issued public health orders or directions relating to mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirements for workers, including disability workers

Providers are strongly encouraged to check the details of the public health orders or directions in their state or territory, including any new requirements for providers in respect to booster vaccinations and dates for compliance with the requirements of the order. Public health orders are generally published on state and territory government or health department websites.

Consistent with obligations of registered providers under the NDIS Code of Conduct and the NDIS Practice Standards to provide supports and services in a manner and environment that is safe for participants, providers should ensure that they and their disability workers comply with any requirements of public health orders or directions for mandatory booster vaccination in their state or territory.

Supporting workers to access the COVID-19 booster vaccine

You are encouraged to engage with workers on their vaccination status and their plans for booster vaccination.

Please ensure that you and your workers understand what the requirements are, and how they affect the supports and services you deliver.

Disability vaccination clinics have been established to help the disability workforce get vaccinated in the fastest way possible, specific to their circumstances. Further information for workers about COVID-19 vaccination is available on the Department of Health webpage for disability workers.

Vaccination reporting requirements

Registered providers delivering intensive support services are reminded of the arrangements for monitoring provider compliance with the condition of registration that requires compliance with public health orders or directions relating to COVID-19 vaccination requirements, including booster doses.

Registered providers delivering intensive support services are required to report worker vaccination information to the NDIS Commission. Refer to our NDIS workforce vaccination page for more information.

Registered NDIS Provider obligations

Compliance with state laws is a condition of registration

Registered NDIS providers are required to comply with their state or territory public health orders as a condition of registration.

Business continuity and outbreak management planning

Registered NDIS providers have obligations to have outbreak management and business continuity plans which:

• identify which supports are critical for the health, wellbeing and safety of a person with disability
• identify and assess risks to people you support, your workers and to the organisation, and implement controls to mitigate these.

You should refer to the new NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators, including those for Emergency and Disaster management, to be clear on your obligations as a registered provider.

Additionally, our fact sheet on outbreak preparedness provides information on preparing for, preventing and managing an outbreak in disability settings. 

You should consider the following as part of your emergency planning and preparedness:

• review and update your emergency plans, including arrangements to ensure that you meet your obligations to maintain continuity of support to NDIS participants
• outline workforce contingency plans in the event of an outbreak
• set up an outbreak management team with an incident controller
• establish a COVID-19 incident reporting process.

Notification of changes or events

Registered NDIS providers must notify the NDIS Commission of any change or event that significantly affects your ability to comply with any of your conditions of registration, including compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards. If the changes or events result from the COVID-19 outbreak you must use the COVID-19 notification of events form to report these changes.

The requirements to notify the NDIS Commission of reportable incidents under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Incident Management and Reportable Incidents) Rules 2018 are separate from the COVID-19 notification of changes or events and remain unchanged.  

NDIS Commission COVID-19 vaccine information and resources

The COVID-19 vaccine information webpage on our website contains links to updates about COVID-19 vaccines and resources for NDIS providers.

We also have a COVID-19 vaccine webpage containing information for people with disability.