The Wire

As the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine continues around Australia, one group of frontline workers are missing out.

Paramedics are in group 1a of the Federal Government’s vaccine rollout, meaning they should be some of the first to be immunised.

But there’s a hitch: in NSW they’re required to get the vaccine while they’re at work, but long overtime shifts and under-staffing mean that many just don’t have time.

The NSW branch of the Australian Paramedics Association is in discussions with the state government, but so far has made little progress. They want more staff to cover shifts as paramedics get their vaccinations.