Almost one-third of WA nurses working in aged care say they would rather quit their jobs than be forced to have a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a survey by the Australian Nursing Federation.

The WA branch of the federation (ANF) surveyed 800 of its members working in aged care and found 31 per cent would leave their job if they were forced to be vaccinated against coronavirus.

Earlier this month, Premier Mark McGowan said his government was looking at making it mandatory by sometime in August for aged care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Mr McGowan said he supported the idea, subject to exemptions, because elderly people were very vulnerable to the virus and the workforce was a potential source of infection.

It followed National Cabinet discussions, after which Prime Minister Scott Morrison said state and territory leaders were “leaning heavily” towards the move.

ANF WA state secretary Mark Olson said while he encouraged aged care workers to get vaccinated, making it mandatory would risk an “exodus of workers” as an unintended consequence.

“If the outcome of a government policy is to lose 10, 20 or even 30 per cent of the staff in an area that is the most debilitated of all industries … then we have to rethink the way we do it,” he said.

Let nurses choose which jab: ANF

Mr Olson said even if 10 per cent of the workforce was lost, it would take a long time to recover.

The survey was taken before the federal government changed its advice on using AstraZeneca for those in their 50s to instead recommend Pfizer.

“This survey came at a time when there was a great deal of community debate about AstraZeneca,” he said.

“If we want to increase the uptake, we must give the aged care workers a complete choice.”

He said he suspected the survey results would be slightly different if workers were able to get Pfizer.

Call for blanket aged care vaccinations

While Mr Olson understood coronavirus could effectively wipe out an aged care facility, he said if vaccines were mandatory, it should be treated like the influenza vaccination where anyone entering the facility needed to be jabbed.

“If the government is serious about giving the best protection for aged care, then a mandatory policy would have to extend to everybody who enters an aged care facility, exactly the same as flu vaccinations,” he said.

He said that was supported by 85 per cent of survey respondents.

AMA WA president Andrew Miller said while it needed to be made mandatory for people working in aged care in time, “if you do it overnight you might create another crisis in your workforce”.

Mandating vaccine ‘a last resort’

A state government spokeswoman said national cabinet had asked the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) to consider the health benefits of mandatory vaccination of aged care workers and provide a report.

“Vaccination has always been voluntary, however, if the health advice recommends it, then the state government supports the need to mandate the vaccine for people who work in the aged care setting, just like what we did with mandating vaccination for WA’s hotel quarantine system,” the spokeswoman said.

“Mandating the vaccine is always a last resort—so for everyone’s health—we strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to get the COVID vaccine to get it now.”

While it is the Commonwealth’s responsibility, the state government had expanded its program to allow for aged care and disability workers to get their jab at state-run clinics since May 11, she said.

“Aged care workers are dealing with some of our most vulnerable Western Australians and while the vaccine is voluntary, everyone should think about the benefits of being vaccinated.

“Not only is it about protecting yourselves, but it’s very much so about protecting others and those you care for.

“Opening up the roll out of the vaccination program in WA to aged care workers will give this cohort more flexibility to book in and get their Pfizer vaccine — on their way to or from work, on their days off and at more times that suit them.