On November 17, 2022 the Australian Federal Government, Department of Health and Aged Care sent a letter of reply to Elizabeth Hart who inquired about medical indemnity for health professionals who administer the COVID-19 vaccines. The government stated “Informed consent should be obtained for every COVID-19 vaccination, as per usual consent procedures for other vaccinations.” [1]
This concurs with a Septermber 20, 2021 letter from the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) stating that “Practitioners have an obligation to obtain informed consent for treatment, including vaccination. Informed consent is a person’s voluntary decision about health care that is made with knowledge and understanding of the bendefits and risks involved...”