NSW Government

Vaccination requirements for workers

Some workers are required to have a COVID-19 vaccination to go to work. Check the rules below.

Last updated: 20 May 2022

Vaccine requirements update

From 30 April 2022, vaccination requirements related to the NSW Airport and Quarantine Workers Vaccination Program will end. This includes mandatory vaccination requirements for airport, quarantine and transport workers.

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Requirements by industry

Education and care workers

From 13 May 2022, the Public Health (COVID-19 Vaccination of Education and Care Workers) Order 2022, which requires the vaccination of education staff, will end. 

From that time, vaccination requirements will be dealt with via applicable work, health and safety obligations (noting however that some disability workers who work in education settings may still be subject to the vaccination obligations in the Public Health (COVID-19 Care Services) Order 2022).

The employer or contracting entity of a disability worker or in-home and community aged care worker must take all reasonable steps to ensure the vaccination obligations are complied with.

Employers of disability workers in education settings

The employer or contracting entity of a disability worker or in-home and community aged care worker must take all reasonable steps to ensure the vaccination obligations are complied with.

Evidence of vaccination or exemption

A disability worker who works in a school, early education or family/day care facility may be asked to produce evidence of their vaccination status by their employer or the occupier of a premise or the approved provider of education and care service.

Evidence of vaccination includes your: 

Evidence of your medical exemption must be from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Officer. 

Aged care workers and others who work in or enter aged care facilities  

An exemption has been made under the Public Health (COVID-19 Care Services) Order 2022 in relation to the third dose requirement.

The exemption applies to persons entering a residential aged care facility (RACF) to provide services, in-home and age care service workers and disability workers and exempts the person from the requirement to receive a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine if:

  • the person has had 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and
  • was diagnosed with COVID-19 in the previous 4 months, and
  • provides evidence of their diagnosis to the occupier of the RACF or their employer. Evidence of diagnosis can be either proof of registration with ServiceNSW of a positive rapid antigen test result or evidence of a positive COVID-10 PCR result.

The exemption also allows the employer to continue to allow the person to provide work.

Evidence of vaccination or exemption  

A person who works in or enters a residential aged care facility may be asked to produce evidence of their vaccination by the operator of the aged care facility.  

Evidence of vaccination can include your: 

Evidence of your medical exemption must be from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Officer. 

Health care workers

A health care worker must be fully vaccinated, unless the health care worker produces a medical contraindication certificate (in a form approved by NSW Health).   

A ‘health care worker’ covered by the Order is a person who does work for:  

  • a Local Health District;
  • a statutory health corporation (listed in Schedule 2 of the Health Services Act 1997)
  • an affiliated health organisation in respect of its recognised establishments and recognised services  (listed in Schedule 3 of the Health Services Act 1997)
  • the Health Administration Corporation
  • the Ambulance Service of NSW.  
  • Other health care workers are: 
    • registered paramedics who transport, or assess whether to transport, persons to or from a hospital or public health facility, including any incidental treatment to a customer
    • Ministry of Health staff
    • any person who works at a private health facility
    • others specified by the Chief Health Officer.      

The obligation for health care workers to be vaccinated covers employees, contractors, visiting practitioners, volunteers and students. It covers both temporary and permanent work.      

The obligation to be vaccinated does not apply to a health care worker who is responding to a medical emergency, or another person who works as a health care worker in response to a non-medical emergency, such as fire, flooding or a gas leak.  

The employer, contracting entity or student supervisor responsible for a health care worker must take all reasonable steps to ensure the vaccination obligations are complied with.  The occupier of premises where the person works is also responsible for taking all reasonable steps to ensure the obligation is complied with (except occupiers of residential premises).    

Evidence of vaccination or exemption  

A health care worker may be asked to produce evidence of their vaccination by their employer, student supervisor, contracting entity or occupier of premises (except occupiers of residential premises).  

Evidence of your vaccination can include an: 

Evidence of your medical exemption must be from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Officer.

In-home and community aged care workers and anyone providing disability services

In-home and community aged care workers, and anyone providing disability services, will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have a medical exemption in order to work.

Disability services means services provided in person to a person with a disability, including (but not limited to) services

  • funded or provided under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, or 
  • funded or provided under the Assisted School Travel Program of the Department of Education. 

In-home and community aged care workers means people who: 

  • Provide flexible care, home care, or a Commonwealth-funded aged care service  
  • Provide that service outside of a residential care setting 
  • Do so for or on behalf of: 
    • an approved provider for whom a flexible care subsidy or home care subsidy is payable under the Aged Care Act 1997 or 
    • a service provider of a Commonwealth-funded aged care service within the meaning of the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission Act 2018, delivering services outside a residential aged care setting 

Disability workers and in-home and community aged care workers must not provide disability services unless they are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccination (unless they have a medical exemption). 

The employer or contracting entity of a disability worker or in-home and community aged care worker must take all reasonable steps to ensure the vaccination obligations are complied with.   

Evidence of vaccination or exemption   

Evidence of vaccination can include your:  

Evidence of your medical exemption must be from a medical practitioner in the form approved by the NSW Chief Health Officer. 

Book a vaccination

Find out where and how to get your COVID-19 vaccination.

Support telephone lines 

NSW Health Vaccination Support Line 1800 57 11 55

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) 131 450 

Medical exemptions

Workers in particular industries who have a medical reason for not receiving vaccination must apply for medical exemptions from vaccination through their medical practitioner (such as a GP).

The person must be unable to receive all approved COVID-19 vaccines to be granted a medical exemption. 

Evidence of contraindication to COVID-19 vaccination is provided using the Australian Immunisation Register immunisation medical exemption form.

Recovering COVID-19 cases

If you have fully recovered from COVID-19 and have not already been vaccinated, you can now receive your COVID-19 vaccination.

ATAGI recommends waiting 3 months after a confirmed COVID-19 infection before receiving your next dose. Book your vaccination for as soon as possible after the 3-month period has ended.

If the vaccination is deferred, medical practitioners can authorise a temporary exemption from vaccination by completing a NSW COVID-19 vaccine medical contraindication form.

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