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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-12-03 Daily Xml
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SWINE FLU VACCINATIONS

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (15:21): I seek leave to make a further ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: The commonwealth's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has announced today that the vaccine against swine flu has been approved for children aged from six months to nine years of age. The free vaccine, released in September this year, was previously approved for children 10 years and over. That vaccine will be able to be provided to children aged over three years, and a vaccine for younger children (Panvax H1N1 Vaccine Junior) will become available for children aged between six months and three years. To be fully vaccinated, children under 10 will require two doses, delivered at least 28 days apart. The TGA and the commonwealth will set a start date soon for children's vaccinations to begin. SA Health will advise the South Australian community of that start date in coming weeks.

Vaccination will be available through GP clinics and through SA Health funded clinics, which have been set up across the state for the purpose of providing swine flu shots. The federal health minister today said that Panvax has gone through a rigorous evaluation by the TGA, including evaluation by the Australian Drug Evaluation Committee, and has been found to be safe and effective for younger children.

So far, 5.1 million doses of the adult vaccine have been distributed to immunisation providers across Australia. More than 470,000 doses of the vaccine have now been distributed in South Australia to more than 1,600 general practitioners and special clinics.

For the main population, the impact of the swine flu epidemic in Australia has been mild to moderate, but for some Australians the impact, of course, has been severe. National statistics show that there have been 190 deaths and 4,962 hospitalisations associated with swine flu. In South Australia, we have had 29 deaths and 550 hospitalisations, with no new deaths or people admitted to hospital since early November.

Swine flu has hit with a vengeance in the Northern Hemisphere's autumn, raising concerns of it returning to Australia for a second wave of the epidemic. South Australians will very soon be able to ensure their young children are also protected from this flu. I would advise people to contact their general practitioner for an appointment or call the national flu hotline (180 2007) or visit www.flu.sa.gov.au to find out how the free vaccine can be accessed.

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