Ross Hart (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I attended a fundraiser for an amazing young man, Arthur Long. Arthur contracted meningococcal W before his second birthday last year. Whilst Arthur survived, he lost both his feet and most of the fingers on his right hand. Foundation 33 is to be commended for raising $12,000 to assist with Arthur's replacement leggies, as he calls them. Foundation 33 is a Tasmanian not-for-profit that works closely with local businesses and individuals to support a range of causes that might not otherwise receive financial support. Prior to contracting the disease, Arthur received the meningococcal C vaccine. Unfortunately, the other strains, A, B, W and Y, were not on the schedule at the time. Labor welcomes the addition of A, W and Y to the schedule. Labor has been working actively to improve access for the public to the meningococcal B vaccine since November 2016. The Leader of the Opposition wrote to the government to seek to have them work with the manufacturer and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee to negotiate a way forward to see the vaccine accessible to protect young Australians. In November last year, it was revealed that the health minister had misled Australian parents about the progress towards approval of the vaccine. His Chief Medical Officer admitted that there was no plan to fast-track the meningococcal B vaccine after the minister created an impression that the matter was being addressed. In the last week, more Tasmanians have been diagnosed with meningococcal. There have been nine in two months.