BALLARAT Health Services has confirmed a staff member was asked to falsify a person's immunisation record to show a COVID-19 vaccine.
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This comes as the state's vaccine mandate for authorised workers comes into play and with the state about to re-open with extra privileges to fully vaccinated people.
BHS has made clear its zero tolerance policy for vaccine dodgers.
The BHS staff member immediately reported the incident to their manager and this was subsequently referred by BHS to Victoria Police for investigation.
Our immunisation staff are committed to getting our vaccination rates as high as possible and ending this worldwide pandemic.
- Ballarat Health Services
"Our immunisation staff are committed to getting our vaccination rates as high as possible and ending this worldwide pandemic," a BHS spokesperson said.
"They have worked tirelessly for months to reach the fantastic results we are seeing today - with our local community's first doses at more than 95 per cent and second doses set to hit 80 per cent soon.
"Ballarat Health Services understands some people are concerned about getting a COVID-19 vaccine and we urge those people to seek advice from a trusted medical professional, such as their GP [general practitioner] or a nurse immuniser, at the time of vaccination."
The Courier understands some employers in Ballarat have been facing a raft of excuses from employees set to be stood down under the vaccine mandate.
Rules have tightened with clarification this week hospitality workers must be double-jabbed by the week's end. Victoria's COVID commander Jeroen Weimar reiterated a firm stance on the issue on Thursday.
Medical exemptions are determined by Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Key bases for medical exemptions are: "medical contraindication to COVID-19 vaccines", such as allergic reactions; or, acute medical illness, including COVID-19 up to six months earlier.
Authorised workers are only allowed to work on site if their employer has cited and recorded medical exemption from an authorised medical practitioner, such as a general practitioner.
Fines for providing false or misleading information about your vaccination status are $10,904.40 for an individual and more than $54,000 for a body corporate.
BHS offers walk-up jabs for AstraZeneca and Moderna, a relative of Pfizer, jabs at the community vaccinated centre based at The Mercure.
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