Kaitao Intermediate principal Phil Palfrey. Photo / NZME
Kaitao Intermediate principal Phil Palfrey. Photo / NZME
A Rotorua principal says mandating Covid-19 vaccinations for educators is a "no brainer".
Many other education and health sector leaders in Rotorua are also backing the move, but some were anxiously waiting for advice on how to deal with staff who refused vaccination.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced onMonday that the deadline for health and disability workers to become fully vaccinated is December 1 and all staff at schools and ECEs who have contact with children or students need to have both doses by January 1.
Kaitao Intermediate principal Phil Palfrey said it made sense that school staff working with children needed to be fully vaccinated.
"It is a no-brainer that everybody gets vaccinated as quickly as possible so that Auckland can get back to relative normality," said Palfrey, who is on sabbatical.
"I don't have a lot of tolerance for people that are anti-vaxxers or who think it's not the right thing to do. Everybody just needs to get on board and do it."
Palfrey said it had crossed his mind that staff may leave but he hoped they would do the right thing and get vaccinated.
Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter said while the announcement came "out of the blue", he personally supported the promotion of vaccination.
He wanted the school to remain a "safe haven" for students.
Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter. Photo / NZME
Grinter expected "a minority" of staff would not be happy with the decision, but the majority would understand the need to lift vaccination rates. The school was planning to make vaccinations available at school for its staff, students and families.
John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh described the move as "necessary and desirable" and said it would ensure the safety of tamariki.
While he understood issues around freedom of choice, Walsh said in a pandemic "common good has to prevail".
"Teachers as role models have an obligation to support the vaccine rollout."
Walsh was "quite anxious" waiting on details from the Ministry of Education on how to deal with staff who refused vaccination, though he hoped it would not be an issue for the school.
BestStart Educare deputy chief executive Fiona Hughes said there was "general acceptance" of the mandate among teams in both Tauranga and Rotorua.
Many staff had confirmed they were vaccinated, but Hughes said "a few" were vaccine-hesitant.
BestStart had been encouraging staff to get vaccinated since August's lockdown.
Rotorua's Ole Schoolhouse owner Eric Hollis said he wanted information about the legal standpoint if an early childhood teacher refused to be vaccinated.
"Quite a number" of his staff were already fully vaccinated or had received their first dose and he didn't believe the mandate would cause problems at the centre.
"We have been encouraging staff to rely on scientific knowledge rather than social media - and to really do their research properly."
College of Midwives chief executive Alison Eddy said while most Bay of Plenty midwives supported the mandate, there was still divided opinion around the principle of informed consent.
"It cuts across some fundamental principles around health care and personal choice that sits slightly uncomfortably with us as a profession."
But she said the "greater public health good" was absolutely imperative in this outbreak.
"As the main health professional group caring for them, midwives have a responsibility to ensure they are doing all they can to prevent or minimise the transmission of the virus."
CCS Disability Action midland general manager Colene Herbert said vaccination for its workers would provide a "level of protection" for those with disabilities and also those working out in the community.
The organisation was waiting on detail from the government about how this would be achieved, she said.
Owner of Central Pharmacy David Honore is in support of the mandate. Photo / NZME
Central Pharmacy owner David Honore said the mandate was "great" as it was the "only way" forward for the pharmacy to continue to provide crucial services.
"We provide services to places like rest homes, and people in the community who need our support. If we went down with Covid, who would look after them?"
All his staff, bar one, were fully vaccinated.
"We have been on the frontline since day one, we are super health and safety conscious."
Organisations to have come out in support of the mandate including the New Zealand Principals' Federation, NZEI Te Riu Roa, The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, General Practices New Zealand and the New Zealand Nurses Organisation.
Principals' Federation president Perry Rush said it was a "brave" decision for Government to take and "underscores the threat posed by the Covid Delta strain to frontline education workers and students".
College president Dr Samantha Murton said it was a "bold, but necessary" decision given the speed Delta was spreading.
