Mark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Why did the health minister last week give Australians over 50 a wink and a nod that it was okay to wait for an mRNA vaccine later in the year? Were those comments based on health advice?

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

The statement is false. I'll read exactly the statement.

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left! The minister has the call.

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

Let me read exactly the statement. It is as we have done on every occasion.

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Isaacs!

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

The question was:

… would over-50s concerned about the AstraZeneca jab be able to—

this is from the press—

get access to Pfizer or Moderna vaccines later in the year …

The answer was:

During the course of the year, we have said repeatedly that as there are larger numbers, over 20 million doses of Pfizer and now the Moderna supplies that could be available … then there is more than enough to vaccinate every Australian.

That's a factual statement that was made on 9 April, 13 May and again on 19 May. But the next statement, which seems to have been omitted, was:

But right now – and I was just speaking with Professor Brendan Murphy before coming to this – right now, we want to encourage everybody over 50 to be vaccinated as early as possible.

The message is very clear: if you are not vaccinated and you catch COVID, you could die. That's the message to all Australians. There could not be a clearer message. This is what we've said right through, because we know that we have vaccines now. We've provisioned for all circumstances and we are seeing an increase in the number of Australians who are coming forward to be vaccinated. We are seeing an increase—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In all circumstances?

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

Correct.

Mr Albanese interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Opposition, the minister has the call.

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

What we have done is make sure that we have a vaccination now for the over 50s. We have a vaccination to cover any circumstances where there is a supply disruption, and we have also adapted to ATAGI advice. We've been able to do this because we provisioned contingencies within the contracts last year. Significantly, what does this mean? It means that we've seen 512,000 Australians come forward for vaccination in the last week. It means that we have done everything we can to ensure support, encouragement and confidence in the vaccination program. I would hope that the opposition is going to support confidence in the vaccination program. I would hope that the opposition—

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left!

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

I would hope that the opposition is not going to—

Mr Dreyfus interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause for a second. I've already asked the member for Isaacs to stop interjecting. He will leave under 94(a).

The member for Isaacs then left the chamber.

The minister has the call.

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

As I said last week and as we say now, right now we want to encourage everybody over 50 to be vaccinated as early as possible and we want to encourage everybody who is in a qualifying group to be vaccinated as early as possible.