115. Why aren’t people allowed to take antibody tests prior to getting a vaccine to see if they already have antibodies against Covid? 116. If a person already has antibodies against Covid why are they being forced into getting a vaccine?

Question Number: 320
PDR Number: SQ22-000697
Date Submitted: 21/11/2022
Department or Body: Department of Health

Question 115 Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) notes that natural immunity from past infection may be recognised in several countries overseas, however there are challenges with confirming past infection and uncertainty with regards to the duration of protection. It is important to note that there is no correlate of protection for SARS CoV-2, therefore antibody tests are not recommended at an individual level to document infection or response to a COVID-19 vaccine. This is different to other vaccine preventable diseases (e.g. Hepatitis B), where antibody tests can be used for a medical exemption to vaccination. Question 116 The Australian Government is a strong supporter of immunisation as a safe and effective public-health measure to prevent the spread of many diseases in the community that can cause hospitalisation, serious ongoing health conditions, or even death. Although the Government encourages as many Australians to be vaccinated as possible, the Government’s position on COVID-19 vaccination is that it is voluntary, as are all vaccinations in Australia. State and territory public health orders may set mandatory vaccination requirements for certain professions and the limited exemptions that apply. Further information about current public-health orders may be found on state or territory government websites.