Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. The health minister has said expert medical advice is that everyone aged over six months should be vaccinated against the flu. Does Australia have enough flu vaccines for all Australians aged over six months? How is it to be provided to Australians, including vulnerable Australians?

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to thank the member for Dobell and acknowledge her work as a pharmacist over the course of her career. The flu vaccine is a very important thing. I have just stood up with both Professor Michael Kidd, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for primary care, and Dr Tony Bartone, who is the President of the Australian Medical Association, and Dr Bartone urged as many Australians as possible to have the flu vaccine. On all of our current projections we are going to meet all of the demand. In particular, on the National Immunisation Program we have 8½ million flu vaccinations, which include those between six months and five years of age, those with certain comorbidities, Indigenous Australians over the age of 50 and in particular older Australians beyond 65.

The advice that I have is that we have a sufficient National Immunisation Program and other supplies in Australia. I think that we are seeing a very good take-up. But out of an abundance of caution we have also spoken with suppliers. Indeed, I have spoken with the global CEO of CSL within the last 48 hours and I am very confident that CSL, which is a great Australian company, will provide additional supplies. They're currently assessing that. That is likely to ensure not only that we meet our demand but that we have spare capacity to ensure that everybody who seeks support for flu vaccination, through the Australian National Immunisation Program or through the private market, will have that support met.