Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have a response to Senator Xenophon, who asked me, as Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, a question during Senate question time on 13 August 2009 which went to what contingencies have been put in place by the government in relation to ensuring the health of those 300,000 Australians who would be allergic to the CSL vaccine. I seek leave to incorporate the answer in Hansard.

Leave granted.

The answer read as follows—

SENATOR XENOPHON asked the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing, during Senate Question Time on 13 August 2009:

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. What contingencies have been put in place by the government in relation to ensuring the health of those 300,000 Australians who would be allergic to the CSL vaccine, given it uses egg products? What alternatives are available? Will the Flinders Medical Centre’s application be revisited in light of that fact alone?

SENATOR LUDWIG—The Minister for Health and Ageing has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question:

The Pandemic HINI Influenza Vaccine (Panvax HIN1 Vaccine) is manufactured by CSL Limited using the same process as their seasonal influenza vaccines. The production process involves inoculating the virus into hens’ eggs and extracting the virus for inactivation and purification for vaccine production. All seasonal influenza vaccines currently used in Australia use egg-based production methods. Such methods have been in use for over 50 years and have an excellent safety record.

As traces of egg-derived protein can remain after purification, people who have very severe (anaphylactic) sensitivity to eggs should not be given Panvax HINI. People with milder forms of egg allergy may be able to be vaccinated safely and should discuss the risks and benefits of having Panvax H1N1 Vaccine with their doctor.

Flinders Medical Centre is one of a number of researchers and vaccine companies using new technologies to develop non-egg based vaccines. None of these vaccines are registered for use in Australia and no vaccine company has applied for registration for use in this country.