[Poland] How to organise vaccination against COVID-19 in the workplace?

The pilot vaccinations in workplaces will start on the 17th of May 2021. Until now, more than 740 companies have already signed up for the programme. The government has prepared guidelines on how to organise and implement such vaccinations in compliance with the safety requirements.

Below we present the most important issues covered by the guidelines on the organisation and implementation of vaccinations in workplaces.

How to register staff for vaccinations and who can do so?

Companies can register their willingness to participate in the employee vaccination programme as from 4 May. To do so, they fill in a form which is available on the website of the Government Security Centre.

In this form, an employer declares the number of employees willing to receive the vaccine, but without providing any personal data. Registration is possible for employees, co-workers (employed under a civil law contract or running a sole proprietorship), their family members, members of professional self-governments and trade associations as well as students over 18 years of age (notified by higher education institution).

Participation in the workplace vaccination programme is open to the following entities with a minimum of 300 persons willing to be vaccinated:

• a single company/employer,
• a group of employers, e.g., a corporate group, from one building or industrial zone, subcontractors of the main entity applying),
• professional self-government or industry associations,
• higher education institutions: employees and students (who are at least 18 years old).

Vaccinations are carried out in cooperation with a health care provider (PWDL) selected by the company and reported to a branch of the National Fund, and the workplace can issue a maximum of 1 request at the same time which meets the following conditions:

• PWDL: in the request it is necessary to provide the data of the cooperating PWDL (the workplace must obtain its consent),
• Number of persons registered: minimum 300 persons required, no upper limit (in case of large requests, more than 10,000 persons, possible staging of vaccine supply must be taken into account).
• An employer, in cooperation with the notified PWDL, should be able to vaccinate all enrolled persons within a maximum of 5 days (the number of enrolled persons and medical entities should be selected accordingly).

Sending an enrolment via the form indicates willingness to vaccinate enrolled employees in collaboration with the selected PWDL. In case of a large number of enrolled persons or the need to start vaccinations in several locations, the vaccination start date depends on the availability of vaccines.

Organisational tasks for the participants of the process – who is responsible and for what?

The company / employer is responsible for:

• entering into cooperation with the PWDL, which will carry out the vaccinations,
• collecting a list of employees willing to be vaccinated and their consents for personal data processing,
• filling in the application form correctly (this means that they are ready to vaccinate the registered staff),
• ensuring appropriate safety conditions when vaccinating in the workplace (in cooperation with PWDL),
• covering any additional costs that may arise in connection with the organisation of the vaccinations (rent of premises for vaccination centres or other organisational costs).

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The selected health care provider (PWDL) is responsible for:

• ensuring the necessary resources for carrying out the vaccinations, i.e.: designation of a vaccination centre which meets the sanitary-epidemiological requirements, providing the appropriate equipment, and appointing vaccination teams,
• ensuring the safety and efficiency of the vaccinations carried out,
• ordering the correct number of doses of vaccine at SDS,
• appropriate storage of vaccines,
• carrying out the qualification for vaccination and performing all the vaccinations,
• drawing up medical records, including issuing vaccination cards,
• carrying out supplementary vaccinations for employees who missed the vaccination on the first day,
• settlement of costs of vaccinations with the National Health Fund.

Before starting to vaccinate, it is important to ensure that employees are adequately prepared, which means that:

• they should complete the pre-printed interview questionnaire before vaccination;
• they should come to the vaccination point wearing a mask covering their mouth and nose.

Important: An employee who has an appointment to be vaccinated elsewhere, but the vaccination date in the workplace is earlier, shall be vaccinated in the workplace and the appointment in another place shall be cancelled. Similarly, if the vaccination date elsewhere is earlier than the vaccination date in the workplace, then an employee vaccinates on a scheduled appointment date instead of in the workplace.

Learn more: COVID-19 vaccination – is an employee entitled to a day off?

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