COSBOA has announced that it will be consulting a prominent immunologist to inform its policies and statements around a future COVID-19 vaccine and related issues for small business. COSBOA expects that once a vaccine becomes available and people begin choosing to be vaccinated or not to be vaccinated, many small businesses will experience issues with workplace relations, customer interactions and expectations of the community.
Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA, stated today “when a COVID vaccine becomes approved and available, we will face a new challenge; that is an understanding of not just when but how a vaccine might be introduced, as well as the subsequent issues we will face as small busines people, particularly for those that employ other people. We need information from experts to inform our advice and our policies. It is with great pleasure that we can announce that Professor Andrew Carr will be providing the information that we need.”
Prof Andrew Carr MBBS MD FRACP FRCPA is Director of the Immunology and HIV Unit at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney and a Professor of Medicine at the University of New South Wales.
Prof Carr has already addressed a meeting of COSBOA members and the information he provided has proven invaluable. Prof Carr not only has the expert knowledge that we need but also an understanding of how to communicate with communities on contagion issues, given his close work with the HIV crisis of the 1980s and 1990s.
Prof Carr stated “I am pleased to be able to support COSBOA with its activity on this issue. We need to get the right message on the vaccine development process and on managing the process of vaccination to the community if it is to be as safe as possible. The opportunity to work with the council can only enhance the process and help dispel the misinformation that always occurs in a crisis, and particularly with vaccines and new medical products and processes. I know that the medical authorities will follow the process needed to ensure a vaccine is safe and safely administered when one is developed. Governments and health authorities will also ensure that there will be equitable and timely access for the different groups and communities in Australia. I also know that small business people are everywhere and are an important source of information for people, and are also places that must be safe in this crisis.”
Mr Strong added “our political leaders have achieved success by consulting and acting on advice from medical experts. We also know that, in some states, the response could have been improved if there was proper consultation with the business community. Now when a Premier stands up and says they have listened to the medical advice, we can say the same thing and add further advice that will assist the community in being safer but also ensure the economy does not suffer.”
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