The workplace vaccination requirement is now being extended to include the New Zealand Police and the Defence Force.

In a statement released today, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Wood says the requirement has been extended to include the organisations in preparation for the transition to the new Covid-19 Protection Framework on December 3, 2021.

The additional vaccination requirements will cover sworn members, recruits and authorised officers of the New Zealand Police and all New Zealand Defence Force staff.

First doses of the vaccine for workers in these organisations are required by January 17, 2022, and second doses by March 1, 2022.

These groups are added to the list of sectors covered by vaccination, which includes MIQ and border work, healthcare, education, and prisons.

Wood says ministers have worked with Police and Defence Force leadership on this, and there is broad support for the decision.

'So many of the individuals within these organisations have been essential to our Covid-19 response and are already fully vaccinated.

'But we want to ensure that those who serve and protect our communities on a daily basis can do so without unintentionally spreading the virus.”

There is already a high vaccination rate in the police - 92.2 per cent of all constabulary police staff have received at least one dose, and 86.5 per cent are now fully vaccinated.

Wood says it makes sense operationally to make it a requirement for the constabulary, recruits and authorised officers who have regular contact with members to be vaccinated.

He says this is about keeping police safe and the community safe.

'The NZDF provide critical services to New Zealand, including assisting Police at regional borders, and supporting MBIE in resourcing MIQ facilities,” says Defence Minister Peeni Henare.

'It makes sense that they are included in the mandate and most of the NZDF's Regular Force are already vaccinated. Our defence forces can be deployed at any time to locations where they may come into contact with Covid-19. For example, the recent mission to Afghanistan saw our defence force personnel assisting in the evacuation of New Zealand visa holders, some of whom had Covid.”

NZDF uniformed personnel are currently 98.4 per cent fully vaccinated and civilian staff are already 75 per cent fully vaccinated through the NZDF vaccination programme delivered earlier this year.

These rates do not include those who may have received vaccinations through the public health system.

'While a number of other sectors have requested additional government vaccination requirements we are not progressing them at this time,” says Wood.

'Vaccine mandates are very strong legal requirements that have to be carefully considered based on a clear assessment about how justifiable they are.

'An increasingly large proportion of the population is double-dosed with thousands more getting vaccinated every day, and the simple vaccination assessment tool that will be available for businesses in mid-December will help to streamline the process.”

More information about the extended vaccine requirements:

These requirements are in addition to recent announcements about workplace vaccinations:

• Vaccination will be required for all workers at businesses and services where customers need to show My Vaccine Passes. This applies to hospitality, events, gatherings, close contact businesses and gyms. Tertiary education, that takes place on-site, is also included at the Red level. To continue doing that work, workers need to have their first vaccination by the day that the Covid-19 Protection Framework comes into effect. They will need to be fully vaccinated by January 17, 2022.
• Non-vaccinated employees doing work that requires vaccination (either under mandates or an employer requirement) will be given a new four-week paid notice period if their employment agreements are terminated. This gives these employees a final chance to get vaccinated before their employment agreements are terminated.
• Employers will be required to provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated.

The full list of sectors covered by mandates are:

• MIQ and border work
• Healthcare
• Education
• Prisons
• New Zealand Police: sworn officers (constabulary), authorised officers and recruits
• New Zealand Defence Force: Armed Forces and civilian staff (including contractors)