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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-06-16 Daily Xml
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Flu Vaccination

Mrs HURN (Schubert) (14:35): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. Will the government reimburse those South Australians who paid for the flu vaccination before it was free for all and who have proof of purchase? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: The government is promising to reimburse $100 to families who have already paid for their school fees but has so far refused to do the same for those who have had the flu vaccination before it was free for all.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:36): Thank you very much for the question. We have been very clear about this: this is a scheme that has been put in place for the first time here in South Australia, and around the country other states are putting it in place for the first time. It is running during June to allow people who haven't had the flu vaccine to come forward, get access to a free flu vaccine and be protected this winter.

It is not intended, nor is there the ability, to go back and provide payments to people who have already received the flu vaccine previously. They have received the vaccine through a variety of different means: there are workplace vaccination programs, there are general practice vaccination programs, there are pharmacy general practice programs. There is no ability that we have as a state government to go back to those records and find individual people.

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Schubert!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: What we are doing is we are now providing a mechanism where we can provide those free flu vaccines through GPs and pharmacies. They will provide them for free and they will keep a record of those. They will then provide an invoice, essentially, to SA Health in arrears, and we will provide that payment in arrears. This is essentially the same operation that is now rolling out in other states and territories around the country as well.

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: As I said, this has been put in place for the first time in South Australia, and I think it is a great move to help encourage the vaccination rate to increase. What we have seen is that it is encouraging people to come forward and get vaccinated. In the past couple of weeks this has been in operation we have seen over 145,000 people come forward to get their flu vaccine.

It is fantastic to see that level of vaccination increase, but we want to see it increase even further, so I appreciate the opportunity to tell the house—and I hope all members can spread this message to their community—that there are appointments available through pharmacies and GPs and to come forward and to get the protection. It is good not only to protect you but also to make sure you stay out of hospital—

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is warned for a second time.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —and reduce the pressure on our overburdened health system and on the doctors, nurses and other staff who are working in our health system this winter.

We know there are increasing numbers of flu cases. In the last week, we saw over a thousand cases of the flu in South Australia, and the average age of those cases is 18. That means that essentially half those cases are children, so it is important that people get their children vaccinated as well. This is the first time ever that this government has brought in that you are able to get your children above the age of five vaccinated at pharmacies as well. So it is not only free but there is greater availability of appointments to get your children vaccinated. For children zero to five, you will be able to do that through your general practitioner.

We want to see those rates rise, particularly amongst children, to help protect them, particularly given that we haven't really had much of a flu season in the past couple of years. It is really important, because there will be a lower level of immunity in the community, that we increase those vaccination rates as much as possible. For people over the age of 65, who have always had access to a free flu vaccine, we are very positive—

Mrs Hurn interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Member for Schubert!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —that this campaign has helped to increase those numbers as well. We are now up to 77 per cent of people over the age of 65 who have come forward to be vaccinated, which is fantastic, but we can do even more. There are still two more weeks to run of this campaign. We are encouraging people to do so. We have also launched a new online and radio advertising campaign through SA Health to get that message out there more, to get people to come forward during this campaign, get vaccinated and protect their community.

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