A101 wrote:A lot of inconsistencies when it came to exemptions advice. How did the body come to the conclusion he could be exempt when it was back as far as 28/9/21 that the ATAGI was
As of 9 September, the Australia Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s (ATAGI) guidelines state that while past COVID-19 infection is not a contraindication to vaccination, it ‘can be deferred for up to six months after the acute illness
https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinic ... -exemptionThat is the form ABF was looking for or a record on AIR.
I imagine what that referred to is if you have started your vaccinations and before you have received your 2nd the rule would apply.
That’s my take
The guidelines are there to help doctors filling out the vaccine medical exemption form, it is not a stand alone document.
The medical exemption form can be downloaded here
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/si ... 12en-f.pdfIn that form a person can only have natural immunity from previous infection from Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella, and the immunity needs to be confirmed through antigen testing. Antigen tests for C19 are normally a blood test, not a PCR test, from blood test they can determine the antigen level in the blood, and the level needs to be above 50 to be considered vaccinated for C19.
People may get a temporary exemption from vaccination to defer the vaccination, on the form
It says
“ In what circumstances should a vaccine be temporarily deferred?
There are some circumstances where the administration of a vaccine should be deferred. These include:
• acute major medical condition
• significantly impaired immune function that is anticipated to be of short duration
• pregnancy (for live attenuated vaccines only).
While vaccination should be deferred in persons with acute febrile illness (current T ≥38.5°C) or other self-limiting acute systemic illness, this would usually be for short periods only and not require completion of this form. For detailed advice check The Australian Immunisation Handbook.”
The term “acute major medical condition”, means something that has resulted in being hospitalised. The other relates to having a fever.
Vaccination was never meant to be deferred for a recovered asymptomatic C19 case like NJ had. The court documents said he said he was fully recovered. He would not have been able to travel is unwell with C19.
Australia has a slightly different system where the states deliver medicine and the federal government sets the policy, pays for, and maintains the records. All vaccines and vaccine exemptions delivered by the states are recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR). This happens automatically when people see a doctor in Australia, their practice software automatically uploads things like vaccination records to AIR.
To prove vaccination status people get either digital or paper certificates from the records held in the AIR. The states do not do this. Exemption certificates are also kept in the AIR, and people show a digital or paper version of that when required just like a vaccination certificate.
A letter from TA is not a valid exemption, they could have made it valid by filling out the form and uploading to AIR, however he did not meet the criteria on the form. So a doctor would have committed an offence if they did that.