Influenza Vaccinations

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:40): A further supplementary question: will the minister explain to the chamber why he will not allow redistribution between clinics and why, instead, patients have to go chasing around to different locations in order to access this vaccine?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:41): The opposition is showing yet again its ignorance of the way these things work. Influenza vaccines are very sensitive vaccines; you need to maintain the cold chain. There is significant risk in moving vaccines from facility to facility without the appropriate transport and so we would not do it. Certainly, redistribution of vaccines is an option that was mentioned earlier when there were issues raised in relation to supply and demand, but the fact that the audit is demonstrating that there is supply out there, it's a matter of making sure that, if you like, the demand meets the supply. We believe that's a much more appropriate response than risking damage to the vaccine which would actually make the client's visit futile.