Influenza Vaccinations

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:31): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the government roll out free flu vaccinations to any South Australian who wants one and, if not, why not? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: More than 2,000 South Australians have required hospitalisation from the flu this season alone and ramping is at record levels.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:32): I thank the shadow minister for her question. The good news is that South Australia has had a significantly better rollout of the flu vaccine compared to the two states that have adopted what the opposition is promoting as a policy. We are miles ahead of WA and Queensland in terms of the rollout of the flu vaccine.

If we adopted what the opposition said and had the same rollout as Queensland and Western Australia have had, then that would mean 100,000 South Australians not covered by the flu vaccine in this state. So we are going to continue to listen to the Chief Public Health Officer and her advice in terms of the rollout of the flu vaccine.

Her advice, consistent with the chief medical officers across the country through the AHPC, has been to focus on the vulnerable groups who are most likely to end up in hospital because they contract the flu: under five year olds, people over the age of 65, people with chronic health conditions, women who are pregnant and Aboriginal people across the state. Those are the key groups that we have the public health advice to focus on; that is what we are focused on.

We have been the most successful mainland state in the rollout of the flu vaccine. I want to thank all of the officials who have helped guide that response, as well as all of the doctors, nurses and other health professionals who have helped our flu vaccine rollout across the state.