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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) (14:39): My question is to the Minister for Health and Wellbeing. When will the government be releasing the cost-benefit analysis for the free flu vaccination rollout for all South Australians? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mrs HURN: The Premier stated in an interview with the ABC prior to the announcement that he had asked the minister to go away and assess what the cost-benefit analysis is on the free flu vaccinations.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:40): I didn't expect that we would come here and hear the opposition oppose the free flu vaccine that we seem to be hearing in question time today.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Unley, the member for Morphett! The minister has the call.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: We have been very clear. The Premier asked me to rapidly prepare advice to the cabinet—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley and the member for Schubert will come to order.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —in terms of rolling out a program in terms of the cost benefit, and we provided advice to the cabinet. Obviously, that's cabinet-in-confidence.

Mrs Hurn: Where's the cost-benefit analysis?

The SPEAKER: The member for Schubert is on two warnings,

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: I can give you the hot tip that cabinet approved running this program on the basis that we believe the benefits outweigh the cost. Hence, we are making sure that we are providing these vaccines and we are encouraging—

Mr Cowdrey interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Colton!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —people to come forward to get protected—

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —because—

Mr Cowdrey: Where have we heard this before?

The SPEAKER: The member for Colton is called to order.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —each and every—

Mr Tarzia: Dr Chris.

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley is called to order.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —vaccine that can help prevent somebody getting the flu is ultimately going to help stop somebody ending up in hospital. This is the first time that this program has been run on a whole population basis in South Australia. Previously to now, what has happened is that the National Immunisation Program would provide free flu vaccines—

Mr Tarzia: You're making it up.

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley!

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: —to a limited number of people—people over the age of 65, zero to five year olds, people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, pregnant women and also people with chronic health conditions. There is obviously a large cohort of people who didn't meet the criteria, and they are now able to access the free flu vaccines through this program. Obviously, at the end of this we will have to do an analysis to see how this went but—

Mrs Hurn: You didn't do one in the first place.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: As I said, we did. What we need to do is look at how this program ran—and I think other states will be doing that as well—in terms of our planning for next year. With two more weeks of this program to run, we want to get the message out there: it is available. We are seeing pharmacies in particular have sufficient availability for bookings, for people to come forward, get their vaccines and get protected. That's why we are now running a campaign, to make sure that we promote this, so that people know they have the opportunity to come forward and get protected.

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