COVID-19 Vaccination Rollout

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS (14:42): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding health.

Leave granted.

The Hon. I. PNEVMATIKOS: Concerns have been expressed today from GPs that the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine is leading to confusion and delays for general practice, including GPs in phase 1a of the rollout who work for respiratory clinics, including the head of the Immunisation Coalition, Dr Rod Pearce, being told by SA Health and the Royal Adelaide Hospital that they need to have a negative COVID test in the 24 hours prior to receiving a vaccine and GPs, including Dr Danny Byrne from Chandlers Hill Surgery, reporting that they will not have enough vaccine available to start bookings for the vaccine.

As of today, only one GP clinic has online bookings available and the initial rollout of phase 1b will have no participating GP clinics in the South-East of the state or the Lower Eyre Peninsula, meaning that locals would need to travel significant distances for the vaccine. My questions to the minister are:

1. Why has SA Health and the Royal Adelaide Hospital insisted that GPs, such as Dr Rod Pearce, must have a negative COVID test before they get vaccinated?

2. Does the minister have concerns with the rollout start of phase 1b, including limited availability in regional SA, and will he make hospital clinics available to people aged over 70 in those areas?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:44): I thank the honourable member for her question. I am advised that only quarantine workers in South Australia are required to have a nasal pharyngeal COVID-19 test 24 hours prior and return a negative test before receiving a vaccination.

Quarantine workers are given the opportunity to be vaccinated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, which is part of CALHN. Quarantine workers are part of our surveillance testing regime. Those workers are required to have a COVID-19 test every seven days and daily saliva testing when working. With test results being returned in a timely manner, this has not impacted the time frame of the vaccine rollout.

In terms of other groups and the general population receiving a vaccination when it's their turn, a COVID-19 test 24 hours before the vaccine will not be required. Of course, if anyone has symptoms, even if they have the mildest of symptoms, they should get a test and wait for a negative result. In terms of the rollout to GPs, the rollout to GPs is coordinated by the commonwealth government.