A SMALL percentage of Metro South Health staff are yet to receive their first COVID shot, with data revealing about 1400 workers were unvaccinated five days out from the government's jab deadline.
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More than 18,200 staff across the network - which includes Redland, Beaudesert and Logan hospitals - had received one jab by September 25, while about 87 per cent were fully vaccinated.
The department could not reveal rates for individual hospitals and did not say if unvaccinated staff had been allowed to continue working beyond last Thursday's jab deadline.
But it is understood additional measures like temporary remote work, PPE and testing could be forced on unvaccinated staff who were still working while waiting on the outcome of exemption requests.
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The department expects the number of exemptions granted to be limited, as only exceptional circumstances would be recognised.
It comes as Redlands passes a vaccination milestone, with more than half the population having now received both doses.
The Scenic Rim is approaching the same mark, with 42.5 per cent fully vaccinated, but Logan continues to lag behind at a below par 37.9 per cent.
Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young said on Monday no unvaccinated staff were working at the state's five COVID hospitals, but did not say where they were located.
"There is a very small number who aren't vaccinated and a lot of them were already on leave, for instance maternity leave (and) long service leave," she said
"Of the remaining, there is only a very few, and we are working with each of those individuals to see what their reason for not being vaccinated is.
"The plan is there won't be unvaccinated staff working at Queensland Health hospitals (and) we're currently working with the private sector to see what will happen there ... "
The state government's jab mandate came into effect on September 30, meaning all health staff were required to have had at least one dose. They will need to be fully inoculated by the end of October.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said the department would work with staff who refused to be vaccinated.
"Our approach is to find out why staff may decline to be vaccinated and explore whether there is additional information or support that can be provided to enable them to be vaccinated," she said.
"Following that, we will work with these staff to explore alternative options to keep them and our workplaces safe.
"These options will be determined based on consideration of the employee's individual circumstances and may include deployment or other adjustments."
There was no guarantee exempt staff would be allowed to continue in their current role.
"We know vaccination is our best defence to help us better protect the safety of employees, patients and clients, and the broader community against COVID-19," a Queensland Health spokeswoman said.
Police officers have quit the force over vaccine mandates, with Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski revealing a small group had resigned instead of getting the jab.
Officers had been told they needed at least one dose by Monday, October 4.
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