Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Senator Colbeck. Today the WA Australian Medical Association president, Mark Duncan-Smith, said:

Going with 70, 80 per cent of only eligible adults is neglecting our children and bordering on child abuse.

Minister, do you agree that opening up restrictions when only 80 per cent of the adult population is vaccinated borders on child abuse?

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

No, I don't. I have to say it's really disappointing that Senator Siewert comes in here and uses parliamentary privilege, in a sense, to make those sorts of accusations. Quite frankly, it's outrageous that a member of the health profession in Western Australia would actually express those sorts of views himself. Purely and simply, it's a cheap opportunity to score some political points.

As I said yesterday, the Doherty modelling does contemplate the vaccination of children, albeit at a later date—

Senator Keneally interjecting—

in accordance, Senator Keneally, with the health advice. You can be as pious as you like about this, but we're operating in this country under health advice. Our vaccination program in this country has been based on the advice from and full approval of vaccines through the TGA, whereas in the US they only got full approval for their vaccinations this week. We made sure, in this country, that the Australian community had confidence in the vaccination rollout, and the vaccines that we were using, by undertaking a full vaccination program through the TGA and providing advice to the Australian community through ATAGI.

For the Greens to come in here with a quote from a GP or a specialist in Western Australia, in an attempt to make cheap political points, to undermine public confidence in the vaccination rollout, I think is an absolute disgrace.

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

Senator Siewert, a supplementary question?

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, I certainly do. Do you admit that, if we loosen restrictions when effectively only 56 per cent of our total population are vaccinated, there is going to be a death rate among our children that, in fact, no parent will accept?

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

Again, the alarmist language of the Greens in respect of this is completely outrageous. It is completely and utterly outrageous. I would invite the president of the AMA—

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

Order! Senator Hanson-Young on a point of order?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My point of order is on misleading the chamber.

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

That's not a point of order.

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

No, this was a comment made by the president of the AMA—

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

Senator Hanson-Young, please resume your seat. There's the opportunity to debate the answers after question time. That is not a point of order for the chair to rule upon. Senator Colbeck.

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

To take the point of order, I would regard the comments of the president of the AMA in Western Australia as irresponsible. Attempting to frighten parents with respect to the impacts of COVID-19 on children is, quite frankly, outrageous. There's no question that there are risks to children from COVID-19, but let's look at the statistics. I have to say, I think it's outrageous that they're trying to undermine the work of the Doherty institute and all of the other institutions that have participated in this. The hospitalisation rate for children is about two per cent. For those over the age of 70, it's 40 to 70 per cent. There is a big difference. (Time expired)

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

Senator Siewert, a final supplementary question?

Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'll ask the same question that I asked yesterday: when will this government include children in the national vaccination targets and acknowledge that they have to be in there?

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

The vaccination of children is clearly a part of the national vaccination programs. We continue to operate the vaccination rollout based on the health advice. The ATAGI advice with respect to vaccination of children is expected to be available for national cabinet this week. The Doherty institute has said that the 70 and 80 per cent numbers don't change with respect to the vaccination of children and the including of children in the targets. National cabinet—not the Liberal Party, not the Labor Party, not the Greens—has commissioned the Doherty institute to do this work. Liberal governments and Labor governments across the country—

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

Order! Senator Hanson-Young on a point of order?

Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On relevance. He still hasn't answered the question. It was about the targets. We've only got five seconds to go. Could he get to the point?

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

Senator Hanson-Young, with respect, Senator Colbeck was directly addressing the question. I can't direct him how to answer a question, but he was talking about the matters raised in the question—to my way of hearing, in some detail.

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

The government will continue to operate on the professional and health advice in supporting Australians receiving vaccinations.

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal 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 how the Liberal and National government is assisting those who care for our most vulnerable to be vaccinated as part of delivering the national plan agreed by national cabinet?

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

Thank you to Senator Scarr for his question. Australia's COVID-19 vaccination rollout continues to expand. To date more than 17.7 million doses have been administered to Australians across the country. I'm pleased to report that first-dose vaccinations for our residential-care workforce, who are looking after our most vulnerable, are at 76 per cent today. I want to thank all the carers, nurses and in fact all those who work in aged care for turning out to get a vaccine. I urge those who haven't had their vaccine yet to take up that opportunity by 17 September. The Department of Health has been working with each residential aged-care facility to ensure plans are in place to provide support where needed, to ensure every residential aged-care worker has access to a vaccine prior to 17 September. National cabinet agreed that the COVID-19 vaccination of residential aged-care workers will become mandatory by this date. That is when residential aged-care workers must have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. We encourage aged-care providers to keep supporting their workforce. There are a number of channels open to support them to do that, including the government's in-reach services, vaccinating their own staff, and using Commonwealth and state vaccination clinics and GPs and pharmacies. All states and territories have agreed to use their public health orders to enforce vaccination for workers. Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory have all implemented public health orders based on that advice.

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

Senator Scarr, a supplementary question?

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

When can we expect to see children vaccinated in Australia as part of the vaccine rollout?

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

From 9 August, around 220,000 children aged between 12 and 15 years who are at higher risk of severe illness if they contract COVID-19 have been able to receive a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. It's children with specified medical conditions, including severe asthma, diabetes, obesity, cardiac and circulatory congenital anomalies and other serious conditions; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children; and children aged 12 to 15 years in remote communities as part of a broader community outreach vaccination program. From 25 August, 40,000 NDIS participants aged between 12 and 15 years will all be eligible for vaccination. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation will provide further advice very soon on the use of Pfizer vaccine for the remainder of children aged 12 to 15.

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

Senator Scarr, a final supplementary question?

Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. What are the targets in the national plan for returning to a more normal life without lockdowns and why is it so important for all governments to work together in delivering the national plan?

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

As the Prime Minister has said, the national plan that we've developed, and agreed, is our pathway to living with this virus. That is our goal: to live with this virus not to live in fear of it. When we reach vaccination levels of 70 and 80 per cent, we can look at easing restrictions and lockdowns and reopening borders—first state borders and, in time, national borders. The national plan is our deal with all Australians. The sacrifices they make now will get them to the next step—because if not at 70 per cent and 80 per cent then when? We should not delay reopening. We should prepare for it and we should move forward together. There is a plan out, and we are moving forward with that plan.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Colbeck. Over three months ago the USA had already administered around 600,000 COVID-19 vaccinations to children aged 12 to 15 and more than four million vaccinations to those aged under 17. Why are children still not broadly eligible for vaccination against COVID-19 in Australia?

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

As I've said a number of times in this chamber, the Australian government is conducting the vaccine rollout based on the health advice to us from the TGA and ATAGI. It is worth noting that the vaccines that we are using in this country have been the subject of four approval processes by the TGA. The US only got full approval of the use of Pfizer vaccine in the US this week, so they have been operating under an emergency approval process.

We unapologetically continue to work in conjunction with the health advice to make sure we retain a high level of confidence in the vaccines we are rolling out and have the best available data available to support the vaccination rollout across the country. We don't apologise for that. As I have indicated to the chamber already, we have received and implemented advice for the vaccination of children with a certain number of health conditions. That process has commenced and we expect to receive very soon advice from ATAGI in respect of the vaccination of other children in the 12 to 15 age group. We unapologetically continue to work in conjunction with the health advice from our health professionals and experts, the registration processes through the TGA and the advice from ATAGI in support of our vaccination rollout.

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

Senator McAllister, a supplementary question?

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. According to the UK Office for National statistics 34,000 children under the age of 17 are suffering with long COVID. What advice has the Morrison-Joyce government received about the prevalence and impact of long COVID, including in relation to children and infants?

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

The advice I have with respect to the utilisation of COVID-19 vaccines on children in the UK is that the advice they are working on currently sits very closely to the advice that we are operating from in respect of children with specific health deficiencies. With respect to the specifics of the senator's question, I don't have any particular research with me in relation to long COVID. I'm very happy to see what advice I can receive from my health department because I know that our officials are in very regular contact with similar organisations around the world so that they can understand not only the implications of the virus on various cohorts within the population but also what they are doing with respect to the vaccination rollout and how they are applying the vaccine to various parts of their community. So we can—

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

Order! Senator Colbeck, we had four seconds left, so I will allow Senator McAllister to raise her point of order.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Mr President. It is on relevance. I asked specifically around long COVID. I understand from the minister's response that he is seeking to take it on notice. May I have him confirm that?

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

Senator McAllister, I can't ask a minister whether they will do that; I can only rule on whether the minister was being directly relevant. He did cover that as well as other matters, so he was being directly relevant. I'm assuming he has concluded his answer, so I will call you to ask a final supplementary question.

Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

How many children will remain unvaccinated, unprotected and at risk when Australia reaches the 70 and 80 per cent targets for Australians aged over 16 years?

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

I don't accept the premise of the question because I don't accept that children will remain unprotected. Vaccinating the rest of the population does in itself provide a level of protection to the rest of the population that hasn't been vaccinated because it actually limits the transmission of the disease. That's the point of having the targets. So we will continue to follow the health advice with respect to the application of vaccines to the Australian community. And as I've said on a number of occasions today, the advice from ATAGI with respect to the availability of COVID-19 vaccinations to children between the ages of 12 and 15 will be available to the government and to the Australian community very soon.