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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, First Session (54-1)
2019-05-14 Daily Xml
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Influenza Vaccinations

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:36): Supplementary, and it will be short and sharp: given the fact that the nursing homes are responsible for vaccinations, immunisation, and there are 17 people dead—

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Will you beg your pardon. I am asking a question, if you don't mind.

The PRESIDENT: That's the President's line, the Hon. Mr Wortley.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Sorry. Well, can you please give me some protection.

The PRESIDENT: I am allowing you some latitude for context, but then I need the supplementary.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Right, supplementary directly related to the answer: considering the fact that nursing homes are responsible for their immunisations, that there are 17 dead and that a number are in lockdown, what is the minister going to do to ensure that nursing homes live up to their responsibilities in looking after their aged-care people?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:36): The honourable member raises an issue in relation to what SA Health can do to encourage and promote, which we do through the general awareness program. That's why we launched an influenza/flu promotion program weeks ago now, using the opportunity of road fatality markers, delivered by the Marshall Liberal government, highlighting that in 2017, just quietly, a year after the former Labor government, there were more than 100 flu-related deaths in South Australia. We wanted to make sure that South Australians were aware of the opportunity—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Minister. Minister, don't talk over me. The opposition, please show courtesy to the Hon. Mr Wortley. It was a question within the standing orders. I think it deserves an answer.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: That is exactly what I am providing, Mr President. We are promoting a general public awareness campaign, highlighting through that campaign the need for what I would call the two vulnerable groups: under fives, which we have introduced the vaccination program for, and over 65s, as part of the National Immunisation Program. In terms of the commonwealth oversight of the residential aged-care facilities, they already have a recommendation, the aged-care facilities advise state jurisdictions. They are required to have procedures to deal with infectious disease outbreaks and SA Health is actively providing advice to facilities as needed.

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