SPEAKING WITH THE CONVERTED –
“IT’S A NO BRAINER”
By Interchange Australia Human Resources Manager Alastair Orr
Speaking with Interchange Support Worker Tim Dickson on getting vaccinated
I got my second shot last Friday. It hit home for me when I started to see the clients around me having been vaccinated, but I still wasn’t. What’s the point of client’s being vaccinated if I am not? I am supposed to be providing a safe environment for them.
I have to admit though, getting vaccinated was somewhat of a journey of realisation for me. I had reservations that the vaccine had not been tested as well as other vaccines, and I was against going out of area to receive it – I didn’t want to drive into a hotspot to get vaccinated. But once supplies were made available locally, I started to call around, and secured a booking quickly once I said that I was an essential worker.
Part of getting over my initial reservations was when I realised that I did work with clients that have low immune responses, and with people that are more susceptible to viruses. I understand that some people don’t want it, I really get it. But the reality is that we work in healthcare, and ultimately I feel that being vaccinated is essential to be able to deliver a good service. I can continue to provide the consistency of support which clients are used to, and that means everything to them.
I also realised that it would affect my work and employment opportunities if I was not vaccinated. That really isn’t something that I want to jeopardise – I love my work and I want to keep doing it.
So aside from a sore arm – no complaints from me!
