Pharmaceutical industry backs workplace vaccinations

5 October 2021: Medicines Australia strongly recommends full COVID-19 vaccinations for the health and safety and protection of all employees, including those who work in the biopharmaceutical industry.

The release of the biopharmaceutical industry position follows a growing number of high-profile employers, including member companies, who introduced mandatory vaccination policies last month.

Medicines Australia are powerful advocates for the COVID-19 vaccine and stand by those who require employee vaccinations to protect the health and safety of employees, manufacturers, frontline health workers, patients, and the community they work with during these unprecedented times.

Medicines Australia is the industry peak-body for the biopharmaceutical industry in Australia, who employ almost 15,000 people around the country¹.

Elizabeth de Somer, CEO of Medicines Australia, said supporting the global and national vaccine rollout must remain a strong priority.

“The more people who get vaccinated, the less likely it is people will become critically sick from COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, according to well-understood standards of scientific and clinical evidence. We must do all that we can to protect one another, including in the workplace,” she said.

“This is a proud moment in our industry’s history. I am grateful to the highly skilled Australian workforce who are making a real difference to the health of all Australians.”

In a position developed for members, Medicines Australia outlined five key principles that underpin support of workplace COVID-19 vaccinations:

1. 1. Vaccinations are a critical pillar of public health policy as they guard against the spread of communicable diseases and reduce the burden of illness on individuals, families, the community, and the broader healthcare system.
2. 2. High vaccination rates must be encouraged to support herd immunity and prevent the COVID-19 virus from easily spreading from person-to-person.
3. 3. Education is a critical component in building confidence in vaccinations.
4. 4. The TGA rigorously assess any COVID-19 vaccine for safety, quality, and effectiveness before it can be supplied in Australia. Post Market quality safety and efficacy is assured through robust pharmacovigilance and traceability mechanisms.
5. 5. Health is fundamental to ensure the economic prosperity of Australia and the world.

Everyone in Australia aged 12 years and over is now eligible for a free COVID-19 vaccination. To find out more about eligibility and local state and territory information, visit the Department of Health website.