Melbourne, Australia: CSL has confirmed all Australian on-site employees, contractors and visitors will be required to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, in keeping with the company’s commitment to protect the health of people everywhere.
As a leading science-based company that protects human health, CSL is a strong advocate for the role vaccination plays in reducing the burden of infectious disease. The company is among the world’s experts in the production of influenza vaccines, and more recently, applied its expertise to the manufacture of a COVID-19 vaccine.
From the outset of the pandemic, CSL has strongly encouraged everyone – especially our employees - to engage with the scientific evidence that vaccines are safe and effective and have a critical role to play in reducing the severity of COVID symptoms, including the risk of death.
In Australia, all current on-site authorised workers are required to be fully vaccinated by 26th November, pursuant to a Victorian Government mandate announced 1st October.
For those not covered by the government mandate, the company will require any person attending a CSL site in Australia, to be fully vaccinated by 31st December.
Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our people is a top priority. Mandating vaccination supports this objective by protecting CSL’s employees and significantly mitigating the risk of COVID-19 related disruptions to the supply of life-saving products for patients who rely on them.
For CSL’s U.S. workforce, comprising over 15,000 people, the company will comply with the anticipated government requirement for all employers with more than 100 workers to mandate full vaccination or a weekly negative COVID-19 test, if applicable.
In Australia, the decision follows an employee consultation process and a comprehensive risk assessment which resulted in support for mandatory vaccination as an additional control measure to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the workplace.
In the coming weeks, CSL will further consult with suppliers and third-party site contractors and visitors to raise awareness of the new policy and work through considerations for implementation.
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About CSL
CSL (ASX:CSL; USOTC:CSLLY) is a leading global biotechnology company with a dynamic portfolio of life-saving medicines, including those that treat haemophilia and immune deficiencies, as well as vaccines to prevent influenza. Since our start in 1916, we have been driven by our promise to save lives using the latest technologies. Today, CSL – including our two businesses, CSL Behring and Seqirus – provides life-saving products to more than 70 countries and employs more than 25,000 people. Our unique combination of commercial strength, R&D focus and operational excellence enables us to identify, develop and deliver innovations so our patients can live life to the fullest. For inspiring stories about the promise of biotechnology, visit Vita at CSLBehring.com/Vita and follow us on Twitter.com/CSL
For more information about CSL Limited, visit www.csl.com