Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. Can the minister update the Senate on the national rollout of the COVID vaccine, particularly into regional Australia?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McDonald, for the question. This week is a historic week for Australia and all Australians. The mass vaccine rollout began yesterday in aged-care homes, hospital hubs and for border, quarantine and frontline health workers. I'm also pleased to be able to report that a second shipment of Pfizer vaccine arrived in Australia overnight.

This week health professionals will deliver vaccines to aged-care residents across 240 facilities in 190 towns in regional centres across the country. In your home state, Senator McDonald, aged-care residents in regional centres such as Toowoomba, Kearneys Spring, Harristown, Glenvale, Bundaberg, Millbank and Kepnock will receive their vaccines. Under the Australian government's plan for aged-care residents, we're on track for them to be vaccinated by April.

We encourage all Australians, when your turn comes, to take the opportunity to line up to receive the vaccine that will protect you, your families and the whole country, from major cities to rural communities. As the Prime Minister has said, we are going to make our Australian way back through this pandemic, and the Australian way has proved to be, when you look around the world, one of the most effective there is. People are relying on us to protect their livelihoods, to protect their lives, to maintain the health of the country, to make sure we roll out this vaccination program, and we will do that.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator McDonald, a supplementary question?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister please outline the expert process our medical professionals are undertaking in this vaccine rollout?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator McDonald. We want to give confidence to the Australian people, and we're doing that by showing that these vaccines have been through a full and thorough assessment by our medical regulator, the TGA, and that they are safe. As the Prime Minister demonstrated by being vaccinated on Sunday, he is not asking anyone to do anything that he is not prepared to do himself. Today we saw the Leader of the Opposition vaccinated. He, too, is demonstrating his confidence in the vaccine. As more Australians receive it and, as we've seen around the world, it is shown to be safe and effective, that will also raise the confidence across the community and encourage more Australians to get vaccinated. Our key message is that it's safe, it's effective and it will help protect you but it will also help protect your loved ones.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Colbeck. Senator McDonald, a final supplementary question?

Susan McDonald (Queensland, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister also update the Senate on the Morrison-McCormack government's plan to record who has and hasn't had the vaccine?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I can confirm that the Australian Immunisation Register will be the record for all vaccinations for Australians, and that record will form the basis of the vaccination certificate that all Australians will be able to use, including visa holders. Your immunisation history statement, sourced from the Australian Immunisation Register, is available right now. You can access it from Express Plus Medicare or from myGov or call or visit Services Australia and get a paper record. Doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals will record vaccines given to you or your child on the Australian Immunisation Register. Once you've had the required doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, a COVID-19 immunisation status will show your immunisation history statement, and that can be used as your proof of vaccination.