Fly-in-fly-out workers will soon be able to get their COVID-19 vaccination at Perth Airport.
The Perth Airport trial will initially involve Rio Tinto workers at a pop-up clinic operating three days a week during a six-week trial, starting next month.
The trial will also be expanded to mining locations in the Pilbara for both workers and community members.
In-depth discussions are underway with other major miners, including BHP and Fortescue Metals Group.
Rio Tinto workers will need to book their vaccination at the pop-up clinic via the company.
WA Health has been in ongoing discussions with peak resources sector bodies and employer groups on how the Department and industry can collaborate effectively for vaccination of staff and communities.
WA Health will provide clinical support for the Perth Airport trial vaccination clinic, while mining companies will provide logistical resources, staff and communications to encourage high vaccination uptake among the workforce.
Following the six-week trial, an evaluation will be completed to assess its effectiveness and roll out the concept to further companies and locations.
Regional trial vaccination clinics are being planned with the WA Country Health Service and industry to tap into the resources sector workforce and communities in the heart of the Pilbara.
In collaboration with Rio Tinto, in late September trial clinics will operate in Tom Price and Paraburdoo to administer first doses to the company's workers and community members. The clinics will return up to four weeks later to provide second doses.
Another trial clinic is being planned for Newman in late September, in conjunction with BHP.
This new collaboration with the resources industry builds on the recent initiatives to increase WA's vaccination rate.
A vaccination blitz began this week which will see 250,000 doses administered during the next three weeks at State-run clinics.
The new city clinic at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre has been a great success, with another new clinic opening in Midland in September.
There have been more than 1.4 million COVID-19 vaccination doses administered in WA.
General community members can continue to access WA Health State COVID-19 vaccination clinics in more than 100 locations across Western Australia.
People are encouraged to visit https://www.rollup.wa.gov.au to register and book an appointment.
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"Western Australia's resources sector leaders are extremely keen to do the right thing and ensure the substantial labour force gets vaccinated as soon as possible.
"Our resources sector is the driver of the economy - it is vital that we keep workers safe and sites operating through this pandemic.
"Having a pop-up vaccination clinic at Perth Airport where Rio Tinto's FIFO workers transit to and from their sites simply makes sense.
"I am extremely pleased with this new expansion in the effort to get as many Western Australians vaccinated against COVID-19 as possible.
"Keeping our resources sector workers safe, so they in turn can keep their workmates, families and communities safe, is a very positive move.
"Having the clinics located where the workers naturally travel as part of their working lives is a convenient proposition for them and will make accessing the vaccine easier.
"Further north in the Pilbara, I applaud the WA Country Health Service for working with industry to provide trial vaccination clinics for people in the area.
"Should these trials prove successful, I look forward to expansion in the future."
