This midwife is double COVID-vaxxed – but she’s still banned from returning to work

A double-vaccinated Melbourne midwife who has been barred from working in Victorian hospitals due to strict COVID rules, which require at least one booster shot, is urging the state government to loosen the lingering mandate.

Naomi – who has tested positive for COVID twice since the pandemic began – and her husband Josh said they supported Victoria’s coronavirus rules at the height of the pandemic and were pro-vaccine.“I am triple , our eldest child is double … and we remain supportive of the measures taken,” Josh said.“In another universe, Naomi could have had a booster in March 2022, and still be working today, even though any effect of this booster would have long worn off.

“Rarely can you mandate something for an individual’s benefit. It may be justifiable to mandate something for the benefit of protecting others,” Leask said.“Given that we are now in a situation where most people have immunity from both initial vaccines and from COVID itself, and vaccinated people can still transmit COVID, it is very difficult to justify ongoing vaccination requirements for COVID-19.

Unvaccinated pregnant women are at higher risk of falling severely ill with COVID, and the vaccines are safe during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, according to Australian government advice.“The chance of a single midwife getting a booster and reducing the risk of patients getting COVID is just a drop in the ocean,” Leask said. “To me, it’s very hard to justify a requirement for the third dose given where we are at now with COVID.

Australia has been grappling with a shortage of midwives. The Andrews government has been trying to attract new midwives and nurses, promising Bennett isn’t convinced, however, that vaccine mandates are still appropriate for firefighters, believing vaccines in this group now offered more of an individual benefit than community benefit.But she said other things could still be done to help COVID spreading among fire crews, such as rapid antigen testing.

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