COVID-19 Vaccination

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (15:13): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Health and Wellbeing regarding vaccinations.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: The Premier and Professor Nicola Spurrier have said that vaccination rates are key to moving from the lockdowns and lockouts of the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to return to a more normal way of life. Will the minister update the council on COVID-19 vaccinations in South Australia?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:13): I thank the honourable member for his question. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic South Australians have been working together as a community to ensure that we keep our state safe and strong. Alongside the outstanding work and tireless efforts of our health staff, this has been a key factor in South Australia's successful response to the pandemic. Just as we have seen in the past, COVID-19 continues to bring fresh challenges. Just last week, we saw the Omicron variant emerging, and scientists across the planet are working to get more clarity on its transmissibility, severity and its response to vaccines.

As Professor Nicola Spurrier and the Premier and many others have said, we have to learn to live with the virus, and key to living better with the virus will be the take-up of vaccines. Here in Australia we have three safe, effective vaccines available from a wide range of sources: GPs, pharmacists, immunisation providers, state-run mass vaccination clinics, standing clinics and mobile clinics. Governments and their partners are doing what they can to make these vaccines available.

As in other areas of the response, South Australians have stepped up and shown their community spirit. Over a week ago, we passed the milestone of 80 per cent of the population over 16 having both doses of the vaccine. The next phase of our move to living with COVID will come when 90 per cent of the population over 12 have received both doses of the vaccine.

With 89.5 per cent of the population over 12 having their first dose as of yesterday and 80.5 per cent having both doses, we are well on track to reaching 90 per cent having their first dose over the coming weekend and then, perhaps in three or four weeks' time, 90 per cent double-dosed.

I thank all South Australians who have received their vaccine doses. Your choice to get vaccinated helps protect not only yourselves and your loved ones but the entire South Australian community. To anyone who is thinking about getting the vaccine, the cases we are seeing emerge in recent days is a reminder that COVID is present in South Australia. This is not a cause for alarm. The Marshall Liberal government has been working to ensure our health system is ready. We have excellent contact tracing teams and we have maintained sensible public health measures.

However, the best protection from hospitalisation and severe illness is vaccination. I encourage every eligible South Australian who has not received a dose of the vaccine to go and get vaccinated as quickly as they can. The latest update I received showed that there were 28,000 vaccine appointments available at metropolitan mass vaccination clinics. There are thousands more available at pharmacies and GPs.

I would urge all South Australians to roll up their sleeves, to get vaccinated, to protect themselves, those they love and the communities of which they are a part.