Under the WA government's mandate, workers must be fully vaccinated by January 1.

While there are workers who are refusing to get the jab, the proportion of mine workers who are vaccinated is understood to be well above the rate for the general WA population.

However, there are still concerns the acute labour shortage will be exacerbated by the move.

Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA CEO Paul Everingham said the group had been working with WA Health to support the implementation of the mandate.

"Anecdotal evidence in the lead-up to the 1 December deadline indicates the wide majority of the WA mining and resource sector's workforce is either already fully vaccinated or in the process of becoming so," he said.

"In the case of a worker not vaccinated by December 1, companies will work with them on a case-by-case basis in relation to their role and employment outcomes.

"There is not necessarily a one-size-fits-all approach to managing these situations and companies will manage each instance in line with their legislative obligations and employment arrangements with those people."

A Rio Tinto spokesperson said the response from its large Pilbara workforce to the vaccine mandate had been overwhelmingly positive.

Unvaccinated workers will not be allowed on Rio sites or offices from today.

"We will have a more accurate understanding of the total numbers of unvaccinated employees once the mandate comes into effect," the spokesperson said.

"We will continue engaging with the small minority of our workforce who haven't submitted their vaccination record and will support them based on their individual circumstances.

"We continue to urge all our workforce to get vaccinated to help protect themselves, their colleagues and their communities."

Fortescue Metals Group CEO Elizabeth Gaines said all its staff scheduled to be on an operational, exploration or construction site or attend its Fortescue Hive integrated operations centre will be required to confirm their vaccination status.

"We have seen a strong uptake from our team members in providing their proof of vaccination and arrangements are in place for team members to depart Fortescue sites [yesterday] if they have not received their first dose of a TGA approved vaccine," she said.

"A range of measures are in place to actively support team members through this process."

Gaines said she did not expect any impact on operations or projects as a result of the deadline.

Similarly, Northern Star Resources said it did not expect the vaccine mandate to have any material impact on production.

"Non-compliant employees can utilise their entitlements and are provided continuity of employment while they achieve compliance," the company said.

Fellow gold producer Newmont Corporation said it expected "very low" numbers of unvaccinated employees from today.

"Throughout the global pandemic, Newmont has put health and safety first in all decision making," a spokesman said.

"A significant number of our employees have already taken the important step of being vaccinated and the WA and NT health directions ensure that we continue to create the safest environment possible for our workforce, their families and host communities."

Two weeks ago, Mineral Resources boss Chris Ellison said there had been a very high vaccine uptake among the company's workforce of more than 5000.

"I've also been talking to the groups of people that have got concerns about getting vaccinated, so I get them in and we talk about what sort of support we can get them and how to help them," he said.

"We're not telling them they have to get vaccinated. We're encouraging them to make the right decision for their elderly parents, for their kids, for their economic benefit."

MinRes was aiming to get the number of vaccine-hesitant people in its workforce down to zero by December 1, but those who didn't could be asked to take leave.

"It's not something I want to face because we don't make people redundant in the business," Ellison said.

"I think some people just need time to understand how safe the vaccine is. Some of them have a belief that it has been introduced in the community too quickly."

Ellison confirmed he had been "first in line" for the jab and was double-vaccinated.

"My belief is not necessarily others, but mine is that the smartest thing that we can do is get vaccinated," he said.

"This virus is going to be around, I think, for years to come."