VACCINATION PROGRAMS

146 Dr McFETRIDGE (Morphett) (27 July 2010). How many children each year since 2000 have suffered from adverse or debilitating conditions such as autism, convulsions or brain haemorrhaging as a result of each of the government funded immunisation programs—diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps and rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease and chicken pox?

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts): I am advised:

The safety of all vaccines is a very important issue.

The monitoring of vaccine safety in Australia is taken very seriously and conducted through a variety of independent mechanisms, one of which is managed through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

These systems rely on the general public and health providers to report any unusual or unexpected event following receipt of a vaccine. The reports are reviewed and assessed by an expert committee.

Reports received from general practices, other immunisation providers and the community, considered to be serious are forwarded to the TGA. Data on these assessments is retained by the TGA, not SA Health.

Most reports relate to mild, short lasting reactions, and serious reactions are extremely rare.

Vaccines are considered to be an extremely safe and highly effective means of controlling vaccine preventable disease. Over the years, vaccination has saved countless lives.

The controversial United Kingdom (UK) study by Dr Andrew Wakefield (erroneously published in 1998) that suggested a link between vaccines and Autism has been retracted and totally discredited by the medical and scientific community.

The controversy resulted in the decline of vaccination rates in the UK and a subsequent upsurge in measles cases, followed by the first death of a child from measles in 14 years.

There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines are related to serious debilitating conditions, and to suggest such, in the absence of evidence, is irresponsible and dangerous to the health of children.