Executive Director's Update to Principals #60: COVID Update - 26 Aug 2021
A poem by Noel Davis
Mother Sabbath
A time...
one day a week,
one year in seven,
a moment of repose.
A place...
a temple, church, ashram, mosque,
beneath an ageless tree,
a mountain top where spirits abide,
a sacred site within.
A meeting...
of people
who pause awhile
to be in touch,
to laugh, to cry,
to pray as one;
to share the silence;
to feel alive,
to be renewed in one another.
~ Noel Davis from Heart Gone Walkabout
Vaccination Update
Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL) is committed to supporting the Victorian Government to meet its aim for all final year students to be vaccinated by the time they sit their end-of-year exams.
DOBCEL also supports the Victorian Government’s goal to provide at least one dose for children aged 12 and older by the end of the school year, subject to the available supply of vaccines and advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
Final year students should be strongly encouraged to make an appointment to receive a vaccine either with their General Practitioner, or in one of the state vaccination hubs.
More information on student vaccinations is below, along with a template letter.
Staff that will be attending and/or invigilating end-of-year exams are also urged to immediately make an appointment.
Schools are asked to share this information with relevant staff, students, parents, guardians, and carers. Schools are asked to exercise maximum flexibility to enable staff and students to book and attend vaccine appointments.
School staff vaccinations
All Victorians are eligible to be vaccinated through participating general practices, pharmacies and state vaccination hubs. Victorians aged 16-59 are all now eligible to receive Pfizer vaccine, and 60+ are eligible to receive AstraZeneca vaccine.
It is important that all staff are vaccinated, both for their own protection and for the protection of the community, colleagues and students.
We strongly encourage VCE teachers to get vaccinated as soon as possible as this will support the safe conduct of examinations this year. Secondary schools should also encourage exam invigilators to get vaccinated.
Staff should speak to their doctor or pharmacist if they have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and their health.
Notwithstanding the extension of operating hours for some vaccination centres, some staff may have difficulty booking a vaccination appointment outside school hours. Where this is the case, principals should approve leave to facilitate attendance at a vaccination appointment without impact to an employee’s personal leave balance. Any leave required subsequent to a vaccination for an adverse reaction is to be taken as personal leave. When booking a vaccination appointment, staff should seek approval from their principal to minimise the impact of any leave on the school’s operations.
Students eligible for vaccination
All students aged 16 and older can now book a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at state vaccination centres and from 30 August through their local General Practitioner or Pharmacist.
Students can book their own appointment and consent to vaccination themselves if the health professional assesses them to be a mature minor.
Again, it is important that all students aged 16 and above get vaccinated, but we strongly encourage all final year students in particular to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Eligible students and their parents or guardians should speak to their doctor or pharmacist if they have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine and their health.
Template letters for vaccination communications
To support communication of this information to the relevant audiences, the below template letters have been adapted from the Victorian Government and are available on CEVN:
We have previously provided template letters for responding to parent correspondence about vaccinations and these are linked below again should the above letters result in any further correspondence from parents:
- Correspondence regarding the vaccination of children
- Correspondence regarding the vaccination of staff
How to book an appointment
School staff and students can book or change a vaccination appointment at a state vaccination centre through the Victorian Government’s COVID-19 vaccine online booking system.
From Monday 30 August, people aged 16-39 can get their COVID-19 vaccine at a doctor’s clinic, pharmacy or community health service. Participating doctors, pharmacies and community health services can be found through the Australian Government Eligibility Checker. Appointments can be booked online or by calling the nearest vaccine provider.
To find a vaccination centre and opening times, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au.
For information on what to bring to a vaccine appointment staff and students visit: Checklist: before your COVID-19 vaccination.
Consent
Students can book their own appointment and consent to vaccination themselves if the health professional assesses them to be a mature minor.
More information
For more information about eligibility, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au or use the Australian Government’s COVID-19 vaccine eligibility checker.
For further assistance, contact:
- the Department of Health Coronavirus hotline: 1800 675 398
- the National Coronavirus and COVID-19 Vaccine helpline: 1800 020 080.
Thank you for ensuring that these important messages about vaccination are shared with your school communities and staff.
Next COVID Update
We will continue to monitor the situation and advise principals of any updates. Please liaise with the COVID Support team (see left hand column) or your Education Consultant with any questions or concerns.
Stay safe and continue to look after each other…
Every blessing.
Andrew Watson
Deputy Director of Catholic Education (Interim)