Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Less than half of residential aged-care workers nationwide have been fully vaccinated against COVID. The Prime Minister said these people would be vaccinated by Easter, four months ago. Isn't this abject failure by the Prime Minister putting vulnerable Australians at risk?

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

In response to the member's question, at this point in time, 71.2 per cent of residential aged-care workers across Australia have received a first vaccination. All up, that's over 196,000 vaccinations which have occurred. In addition to that, 49.3 per cent of those have received a second vaccination, or 136,000.

What we are finding in particular is the combination with vaccination of residents, which is the first line of protection. Over 88 per cent of residents have had vaccinations, and all residents have had not just one but two visits at a minimum. And, indeed, we continue to encourage families to vaccinate residents and to provide support.

In addition to that, we have multiple channels for vaccination of workers, and we have worked with the sector, with unions, with others and with the states to mandate it, so as to ensure that all of these workers do take up the opportunity. At this point in time, for the workers, we have primary-care sites, state and territory vaccination centres, onsite clinics at residential aged-care facilities, onsite clinics organised by residential aged-care providers themselves, onsite clinics delivered by GPs or Commonwealth vaccine clinics and dedicated vaccination clinics—of which there are 39 around the country—or hubs, as they are known. All these elements come together, and it is something where we are encouraging workers who have had access right through the course of the vaccination program to take up these options. We're using a mixture of inreach and outreach options. We have seen that, as the decision of the national cabinet has been put into effect through state public health orders, progressively around the country, there has been a significant increase in uptake and acceptance from these workers. These workers are doing a magnificent job, and I want to thank them and encourage them and continue to push forward.

One of the things we notice is that there has been a dramatic difference between what occurred in Victoria last year and what is occurring in New South Wales now, with comparable rates of infection. There are almost unimaginable differences in outcomes in our residential aged-care facilities. Lives are being saved in their hundreds through the vaccination program of both workers and residents. We thank all the families and all the workers. For those who haven't come forward, we continue to encourage that vaccination to proceed.

Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Will the minister please update the House on Australia's national plan on keeping Australians safe and healthy, vaccinating the population and reopening the economy through sound, scientific and health advice?

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

I particularly want to acknowledge the member for Reid and her work in supporting the mental health of children, young adolescents and people of all ages, but particularly at the paediatric level.

We know that the pandemic continues to rage around the world—almost 690,000 cases. Sometimes that fact is lost on some—that there is a global pandemic, the likes of which we haven't seen in 100 years. There were almost 10,000 lives lost in the last 24 hours. We are blessed that no lives were lost in Australia to COVID in that time, but we will see more lives lost; we know that.

Having said that, we have also seen 289,000 vaccinations in the last 24 hours. We have seen over 1.8 million vaccinations in the last week. In August, with 23 days or just over three weeks gone, we have seen over five million vaccinations delivered—the population of Melbourne or Sydney—in just over three weeks. That is Australians stepping forward to be vaccinated. That is Australians doing something to protect each of themselves under the national plan, to bring us closer to those critical thresholds which were reaffirmed overnight by the Doherty institute both by the press release of Professor McVernon and the words the Treasurer quoted of Sharon Lewin, who heads the Doherty institute.

We have also seen that we are now at a point where 11 million Australians have had their first dose. Eleven million Australians have stepped forward to be vaccinated. Significantly, a very important milestone is that we have had 2½ million of our older Australians step forward. For our over-50s, 75 per cent have had vaccinations. For our over-60s, over 80 per cent have had vaccinations. For our over-70s, significantly, 85 per cent have had vaccinations. These are the things that are saving lives and protecting lives.

We see that, in a world with catastrophic human tragedy, we are not immune, but we have been largely protected against these global ravages. Right now there are people who are doing it hard. Right now we are facing the challenges that other parts of the world are facing. But right now we are vaccinating on a grand scale, in addition to what we've done with borders, testing, tracing and distancing and those rings of containment—which, as the Doherty institute has set out under the national plan, will progressively replace the need for those earlier containment rings.

Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Can the Prime Minister confirm that just over a quarter of eligible NDIS participants have been fully vaccinated and less than 40 per cent of the disability care workforce has been fully vaccinated? Given these people were meant to be prioritised for vaccination, why did this happen?

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

In response to the member's question: one of our important achievements as a nation has been protecting people with disability. The rate of cases in disability and the rate of lives lost in disability is approximately half, on the advice that I have, that of the national average. To think that we as a nation have been able to provide that protection is, I think, a very significant national achievement, but we're going to continue to fight for every life. That's what matters. In terms of our disability residents' vaccinations, we've now vaccinated 67.9 per cent of disability residents with a first dose and 52.8 per cent of residents with a second dose. In terms of NDIS participants, 46.1 per cent of all participants have had a first dose and 28.1 per cent have had a second dose. In terms of the disability workforce, this is growing very significantly and is now at 58 per cent for first doses and 39.1 per cent for second doses.

I would also repeat my message in relation to the previous question asked by the opposition, and that is: we need your help. We need your help and everybody's help to encourage those with disability to take up the opportunity, to have confidence in the vaccines and to continue to come forward, because it's both about access and about confidence. These are really important messages. Take these opportunities for families to provide consent. These are such critical steps forward. Each family, each person, can help save a life. We thank our workers, we thank our families and we thank the people who are making their own decisions in coming forward. We want to say to each and every person: this vaccine can save your life. Do not hesitate; please take up the opportunity because, as we provide these opportunities, we know that we can do better still than we've already achieved in the disability sector, where the rate of cases and the rate of loss are significantly and dramatically below the national average. That's an enormous achievement, but we're going to fight for every life.