Disability support providers are appalled by the Ministry of Health's lack of communication about an extension to the deadline for mandatory Covid-19 booster shots.
A vial of the Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine (file image). Photo: AFP
The health and disability workforce was originally given a deadline of today to have their booster dose but it has now been extended until 11.59pm on 24 February.
Border and managed isolation workers are still bound by the initial 15 February deadline.
New Zealand Disability Support Network chief executive Peter Reynolds said the Ministry of Health's (MOH) failure to notify the sector could have resulted in staff being unnecessarily suspended or dismissed today.
"We can imagine a situation where a number of providers today are giving notices of suspension, potentially even termination to a small number of staff who are yet to comply with getting their booster shots," he said.
"We're really disappointed that there's been no notification to the sector. People haven't been told that they've got another week, and here they are on the day the deadline takes effect originally, taking action that they don't need to take.
"This is just really badly handled, the lack of communication is appalling."
Reynolds wrote to the MOH asking for an urgent explanation.
The confusion would likely create legal difficulties for employers who might have already taken action against staff, although it is unclear if any have done so, he said.
"We've got a sector that's in the middle of a staffing crisis and that's only been compounded by Covid. Any staff who are for whatever reason unable to work as a result of today is one staff member too many. This sort of confusion is the very last thing we need,"
The MOH said the change to the vaccination order came into force last night.
"The health and disability sector has been making good progress towards ensuring its workforce has received a booster as required under the (Vaccinations Order). However, after listening to further feedback from the sector, it has been agreed to extend the deadline to 11:59pm on Thursday 24 February 2022.
"International evidence shows that booster doses provide good protection against Omicron, and by achieving high levels of booster protection we will be able to reduce the impact of Omicron in the community.
"In the meantime, the ministry is continuing to work closely with the health and disability sector to support the booster uptake."
RNZ has sought MOH figures detailing booster rates among health and disability workers.
People in the education, corrections, police, defence, and fire and emergency workforces must have had their booster shot by 1 March.
The mandatory booster order is designed to protect people who cannot be vaccinated, like young children, those with an increased risk of severe illness from Covid-19, and people in places where outbreaks have happened overseas, like prisons.
Phase two of the country's Omicron response plan begins at midnight, as daily cases hit 744 - a drop from Monday's high of 981.
Strategic Covid-19 Public Health Advisory Group chairman Sir David Skegg told Morning Report he was most concerned about the one million New Zealanders who are eligible for their booster shot but are yet to have it.
"I'm amazed that there's more than a million New Zealanders who are eligible for the booster dose who have not yet taken up that opportunity. This is crazy," he said.
"I think it's time we stopped talking about people being fully vaccinated if they've only had two doses."