Influenza Vaccinations

896 Ms STINSON (Badcoe) (18 June 2019). How many children aged over six months and younger than five years in residential or commercial care have:

(a) received a flu vaccination for the current flu season in 2019?

(b) been diagnosed with the flu in 2019?

The Hon. R. SANDERSON (Adelaide—Minister for Child Protection): I have been advised:

It is the expectation of the department that all children and young people under the guardianship of the chief executive receive all immunisations as recommended by the National Immunisation Program (South Australia Schedule) within the recommended timeframes.

It is not appropriate for me, or the department, to disclose medical details about individual children in care, including figures on the number of children suffering specific illness.

This is as much about the need for government and the public to respect a child and their family's right to privacy and to treat their personal information with utmost sensitivity, as it is to ensure compliance with relevant legislation.