Claire Chandler (Tasmania, 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 provide an update on how Australia's vaccination rollout is progressing, particularly in our home state of Tasmania, and how the national plan is working to secure our COVID recovery so we can safely reopen and live with the virus?

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

Thank you, Senator Chandler, for your question. Yes, our home state certainly has something to celebrate by passing the first national plan milestone of 70 per cent double dose in the last day. It's an important milestone, and of course the nation has also passed 70 per cent of vaccination post-16.

Our nation continues to surge ahead, rolling up our sleeves, and, with a total of 33,489,485 doses administered nationally as of last night, 14.6 million Australians are now fully vaccinated. That's 70.8 per cent of those over 16, 81.6 per cent of those over 50 and 86.6 per cent of those over 70. We know that the people over 70 are the most vulnerable cohort when it comes to COVID-19, and we now have over 95 per cent of that population who've had at least one dose.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Ayres! Senator Keneally!

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

Can I congratulate and commend those who have been instrumental in us achieving those targets so far: our healthcare workers, our doctors, our pharmacists, our nurses, those in the state clinics who have all worked so hard in over 9,200 vaccine outlets around the country. Thank you for your work. We obviously need you to do more. Our national plan, agreed by national cabinet, is progressing just as we said it would, and yesterday we reached the commencement of phase B where we can start looking at lower restrictions and our country opening up once again.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, a supplementary question?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Can the minister outline what happens now that we have reached phase b of the rollout?

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

I don't need to be a psychic, Senator Watt. We've actually reached phase b of the rollout. We will start seeing the country opening up, as we are in New South Wales, Victoria and here in the ACT. As the Prime Minister said in an opinion piece that ran in Tasmania today, each and every vaccination brings us closer to bringing our country back together again. I join with Senator Smith in his urging of Western Australians to roll their sleeves up and get the vaccine so we can join Western Australians in having a free country. Families and friends can get together. Businesses can get going again. Importantly, our small businesses can get back to work, firing up jobs. There can be a safe easing of border restrictions as the vaccination rates continue to surge across Australia, and we can all start to take our lives back.

Slade Brockman (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, a second supplementary question?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the minister for his response. Can the minister advise what preparations the government has made for the rollout of a booster program?

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

COLBECK (—) (): A booster program will give a boost in protection to those who are fully vaccinated with their second dose. Of course, that's 70 per cent of the Australian population. At the moment, the plan is being progressed through the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, ATAGI, and we expect advice will be provided to the health minister in the not-too-distant future. The government has been preparing for boosters and has secured 151 million doses for 2022 and 2023, to ensure all Australians can access a booster if it is recommended by the medical experts. Maintaining high levels of vaccination in our community will ensure we are protecting everyone, particularly those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, including our loved ones in aged care. We will be building on the strong foundation that we have already established through the vaccine rollout.