Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

OBERTS () (): My question is for Senator Gallagher, for the Minister for Health and Aged Care. A peer reviewed paper last week in the establishment scientific journal Vaccine examined Pfizer's COVID vaccine randomized phase 3 clinical trial data. It used the World Health Organization's framework made for this purpose, the Brighton Collaboration on adverse events of special interest. Authors include virology and pharmacology experts from UCLA, Stanford, the University of Baltimore and Queensland's Bond University. The paper concluded that the Pfizer's vaccine was associated with a 36 per cent increase in serious adverse events. The most common were coagulation disorders and acute cardiac injury. In every 10,000 people injected, 18 will experience a life-threatening or life-altering medical complication. Serious adverse events from Pfizer's COVID vaccine are four times higher than any benefit in reduced hospitalisation. Minister, is Pfizer's vaccine safe, and do advise Australians to continue taking it?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I haven't read the paper that Senator Roberts is citing, but, in answer to his question 'Are the vaccines safe?' yes, they are. The successful deployment of vaccinations across the world has prevented probably millions of deaths from COVID-19, particularly in those vulnerable populations such as older people, people who have a disability or people who are immunocompromised.

We've done very well here in Australia. We've got some more to do in terms of fourth doses, where it's still only about 40 per cent of eligible people who have received their fourth dose. But the vaccine is safe. It's been an incredibly effective health measure to manage the pandemic, to protect lives and to protect economic loss that would have otherwise occurred from such a serious global pandemic.

We have put our trust in the health experts in Australia from the beginning of this pandemic. Their advice hasn't changed. ATAGI have considered all the matters, the scientific panel has looked at them and the TGA has approved the vaccines. They have been through rigorous processes to ensure that they are safe, and where there have been adverse events—and there have been, unfortunately, including serious adverse events and the loss of life—the advice has changed and the vaccine program was changed to deal with that. Where there have been adverse events, they have all been reported publicly on the TGA website, so that people are able to see the data and see the changing health advice around the vaccines. But, yes, they are safe and people should have their vaccine, including their fourth dose. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Roberts, your first supplementary question.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sixty-three million COVID injections means up to 113,000 Australians suffered serious adverse events. Since the vaccine's release, all-cause mortality, after allowing for COVID deaths, is at record highs. This paper proves COVID vaccines cause serious side effects—in 13 cases, fatal ones. ATAGI admits children are being given myocarditis and pericarditis. Where is the royal commission that your own COVID committee called for?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We didn't call for a royal commission into vaccine safety; let's be clear on that. As chair, there was a recommendation about looking at all aspects of the pandemic response. But it is different, and I don't want to be involved in any conspiracy about vaccines, thanks very much. They are safe. The evidence has been provided and the data is available on the website. And I would say to Senator Roberts—because I do have time for you, Senator Roberts; we have good discussions, and have had through the pandemic—if you are concerned by this paper you've read, I would urge you to refer it to the TGA or to the AHPPC or to ATAGI, and get their considered opinion on it to see, and perhaps listen to, the other side from those experts who've been working on vaccines and vaccine safety.

Malcolm Roberts (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The vaccines are causing coagulation disorders, and this will show in our reduction in live births. The Australian Bureau of Statistics receives live-birth data six weeks post-birth, so we should be seeing live-birth data to June 2022, yet the ABS data stops at December 2020. Minister, why is this government holding back 2½ years of live-birth data? What are you covering up?

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

For a start, just to answer your question directly, we're not covering up anything. Secondly, on issues of births, live births, maternal deaths or deaths of babies, usually that data is reported, and it's reported at a state and territory level, so I'm sure that data does exist, if you are interested in it. Where there have been side effects from the vaccine, and there have been some—I'm sure many in this chamber got them—like headaches, feeling a bit tired and escalating into more serious conditions, they have been appropriately managed, and advised on by all of those experts. When there were some concerns about blood clotting and myocarditis in young men, I think in teenage boys particularly, those issues were addressed and were managed, including by providing advice to anyone who is a vaccination provider, to keep an eye out for any conditions like that. And you'll see from the data that the TGA— (Time expired)