Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Colbeck. In early November, President Biden announced that the US already had enough vaccines to supply every child in America and had already commenced the process of packing and shipping out vaccine doses. Are there paediatric COVID-19 vaccine doses already in Australia? And, if not, on what date will the vials of COVID-19 vaccines for children aged five to 11 arrive on Australian shores?

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

I thank the senator for the question. As Senator Birmingham indicated earlier, there is at this point in time no approved vaccine available for children aged five to 12. That process is still being undertaken, with research being done by ATAGI, which of course will be followed up by the appropriate work by the TGA. So we don't at this point in time have an approved vaccine available for children aged five to 12. While that process is continuing, preparations are being made to ensure that, if the appropriate approvals are put in place, we have supplies available to us to commence a vaccination program. But, at this point in time, we don't have the full range of data to be able to approve a vaccine program for children aged five to seven.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, resume your seat. Senator Gallagher, on a point of order?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yes, a point of order on relevance. I was listening carefully to the minister. The question was whether we have any paediatric doses of the vaccine available in Australia now and, if not, when they are coming, not whether they have been approved or not. We know they haven't been approved. The question was very specific to the actual issue of supply of the vaccine.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallagher, I will allow you to draw the minister back to the question. I have been listening carefully. Minister, I will give you the call, but Senator Gallagher has brought you back to the question.

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

I would invite the opposition to listen to my answer, because I did say during my answer that has just had a point of order taken on it—possibly just for the point of interruption rather than taking a point of order—that we would ensure while that process was occurring that we would have supplies available for us in time to commence a vaccination program for children aged five to 12 if and when the vaccination program was approved.

You clearly didn't read the Respect@Work report today, did you, Senator?

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

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

So we are making sure that, while the investigative work is being done by ATAGI and by the TGA, we are ready to start— (Time expired)

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallagher, a supplementary question?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I take it that there are no paediatric doses in the country at the moment. So will the Morrison government guarantee that there will be sufficient supply for an immediate rollout as soon as ATAGI approval for vaccination of children aged five to 11 is obtained?

Opposition Senators:

Opposition senators interjecting—

The P:

Order! Order on my right! Order on my left! I will call the minister once there is silence in the chamber.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallagher!

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

Senator Gallagher has just demonstrated what happens when you have a pre-prepared question and you don't listen to the answer to the first question. I indicated a number of times during my answer to the first question that, while the processes are being undertaken for the approval or otherwise of a vaccination program for children aged five to 12, arrangements are being put in place to ensure that when and if that process occurs we have vaccines available for children as a part of the vaccination program. I have said it three or four times now, and it is disappointing that the Labor Party don't even bother to listen to the answers that have been given to the questions.

Slade Brockman (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Gallagher, a second supplementary question?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Finance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Given that there is competition around the world for these paediatric vaccine doses and with the omicron variant emerging, will the minister assure Australian parents there will be no shortage of vaccines for their children? And does Mr Morrison accept that this is a race?

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

It is really quite disappointing that the Labor Party try to confuse the omicron circumstance right now with the proposals that are being developed for the vaccination program for five- to 12-year-olds. The Labor Party are trying to drive fear into the Australian community with questions they don't—

Opposition senators interject ing—

They're not interested in the answer, quite clearly, going by their interjections across the chamber. They're not interested in what the government's got say in respect of this matter. I've indicated already a number of times in each of my answers that, as a part of our process in preparation for this, in the circumstance when the ATAGI and the TGA approve a vaccine, there will be vaccines available for a program for Australian children.