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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-05-31 Daily Xml
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Question Time

Influenza Vaccinations

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS (Black—Leader of the Opposition) (14:07): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier provide free flu jabs to all South Australians and, if not, why not? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.J. SPEIRS: South Australia's number of flu cases has more than doubled compared to this time last year, according to SA Health data. This week, we had 709 cases reported and 43 hospitalisations, contributing to the strain on South Australia's health system, which has had four Code Whites this month alone.

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:07): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for the question. As members will know, this is a government which has been taking the health advice. Specifically in relation to the influenza vaccinations, we have taken advice from Professor Spurrier, the AHPPC (which is the nation's leading health body in terms of health advice to governments) and also from Professor Paul Kelly. In fact, this has been considered by the AHPPC, who have provided advice to health ministers, and I am happy to quote from that advice. It says:

As you are aware, in 2022 six states implemented time-limited influenza vaccination programs to population groups outside those funded under the NIP. These programs only contributed marginally to increased influenza vaccine uptake in populations beyond those funded under the NIP within each jurisdiction.

There are existing well-established general practice and occupational health programs that provide influenza vaccines outside of the NIP.

From a whole-of-population perspective, marginally increasing vaccination uptake for lower risk individuals (over that already achieved through provision by the private sector) is likely to have had minimal public health benefit. The opportunity cost of this in terms of other competing public health challenges should be considered.

The AHPPC advises that efforts by governments to enhance and improve influenza vaccine uptake should focus on areas of greatest public health benefit, which is to increase uptake in high risk populations, particularly children under five years of age.

Children under five years of age have had reduced exposure to circulating influenza in the preceding two years as a by-product of public health and social measures introduced to combat COVID-19.

The uptake of the vaccine in children under five years of age was disappointingly low in 2022. An enhanced effort is urgently required in 2023. That is the advice from the nation's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, and that is consistent with the advice that we have received from our Professor Nicola Spurrier, and that is why we are focusing, as are six other states and territories around the country, in terms of providing the influenza vaccines.

The latest advice I have is that approximately 600,000 South Australians would be eligible: people over the age of 65, children under the age of five, women who are pregnant, people who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and people with chronic health conditions. Importantly, we are taking that advice from Professor Paul Kelly and the AHPPC in terms of rolling out an education and advertising campaign to try to increase the number of five year olds who can get access to that vaccine.

I would encourage people to communicate that with your electorates and people across the state, that we really want to see that increased rate of children under the age of five, where clearly the health advice is that that is the most critical area for us to increase the vaccination rate this year. We will, of course, listen to that public health advice. If that advice were to change, then we would certainly take the appropriate action in regard to that. That is consistent with what other states are rolling out across the country.

I am pleased that the latest advice that I saw about a week ago was that, of all the states and territories on a per capita basis, of all the states across the country, South Australia is currently sitting at No. 1 in terms of per capita uptake of influenza vaccine. That is fantastic news. We obviously want to see that continue, so I encourage people to make sure that they prepare themselves for the flu, but also, importantly, prepare themselves for COVID-19, which we know is still having a significant impact upon our hospital system at the moment.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order.

The SPEAKER: Very well, member for Morialta, I will hear it under 134.

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: The Minister for Health quoted from advice during the course of his response. The convention is that he table that advice.

The SPEAKER: It may be that he did. In any event, the Treasurer wishes to address me on the point of order.

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN: On that point of order, it's clear that the minister is reading from material prepared for him in terms of a parliamentary briefing note, which of course is exempt from those sorts of tabling requirements.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The matter can be resolved expeditiously by me turning to the minister. It may be that the minister is referring to copious notes. It may be that he has added his own annotations to those notes and, if he did, they would be his own notes.

Members interjecting:

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

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: I was, of course, referring to copious notes; however, I am very happy—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The minister has the call.

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

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

The Hon. C.J. PICTON: I am very happy, given the strong interest from the member for Morialta, to provide him with a copy of the exact document that we received from the nation's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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