Mandating COVID-19 vaccination for students on clinical placements

To align with recent government announcements regarding vaccination for healthcare workers, the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences will be mandating COVID-19 vaccination for all health students undertaking coursework clinical placement from [date].

This mandate will apply to clinical student placements occurring in all medical, dental and health courses and across all sectors: public, private and community.

You can read the full statement from the University here.

Key dates

The Faculty mandate will be applied in alignment with the timelines for Victorian healthcare workers.

Friday 17 September 2021

Mandatory vaccination policy announced

The Victorian/Commonwealth Government announced that... X

1st dose required

Students who have not provided evidence of having received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by this date will not be permitted to attend clinical placement until such evidence is submitted via Sonia [LINK].

2nd dose required

Students who have not provided evidence of having received at least two doses of COVID-19 vaccine by this date will not be permitted to attend clinical placement until such evidence is submitted via Sonia [LINK].

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What if I cannot be vaccinated?

    If, for medical reasons, it is not recommended for you to be vaccinated, you may be eligible for an exemption in line with ordinary practices for healthcare workers. You will need to submit in Sonia a signed letter from your medical practitioner advising either a temporary or permanent contraindication to all available COVID-19 vaccines [LINK TO FORM].

    A relevant academic staff member will then communicate directly with you and our sector partners to identify any safe and appropriate placement opportunities.

  • What if I refuse vaccination?

    Clinical placements in healthcare settings are a course requirement for many medical, dental and health discipline students.

    Without vaccination against COVID-19, we will not be able to facilitate the placement experiences required for you to complete your course.

    If you have questions and concerns about vaccination, please watch a series of short videos, where Associate Professor Margie Danchin, from the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of MDHS, and Group Leader of Vaccine Acceptance, Uptake and Policy at Murdoch Children's Research Institute, answers some key questions about COVID‑19 vaccines and vaccination. https://www.vaxfacts.org.au