Epidemiologist says double-dose vaccine mandates ‘don’t really make sense’

An epidemiologist says workplace vaccine mandates which stipulate workers must have two COVID-19 vaccines “don’t really make sense” anymore.

Chair of epidemiology at Deakin University, Professor Catherine Bennett, says we should “always keep reviewing any of these rules we have in place to make sure they’re working as intended”.

“So much is changing, not just our own immunity but also the virus circulating.”

Professor Bennett says while mandates make sense in high-risk industries where workers have been required to receive three doses — such as healthcare, aged care and education — two-dose mandates in less high-risk industries are now questionable.

“Sitting on a two dose mandate doesn’t really make sense,” she told Neil Mitchell.

“Keeping a mandate in place just for the first two seems now outdated.

“Pull it away if you don’t have an argument, or if there is still an argument it’s about having the booster dose.”

Press PLAY below to hear Professor Bennett’s view on vaccine mandates