Gerard Rennick (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Why has the Queensland health department withdrawn funding for its award-winning COVAX research program studying the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines? This program is the creation of 27 highly skilled researchers, health professionals and administrative staff. They were supported by multiple partners, including 12 health service agencies, five universities and two private pathology services. COVAX was strongly supported by Queenslanders, rapidly enrolling more than 10,000 participants, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, from 85 per cent of postcodes across the state. Countries like Australia are uniquely placed to investigate vaccine efficacy because their diverse populations were, until late in the pandemic, relatively free of the COVID-19 virus. The COVAX team didn't just collect the standard data. Participants provided information on environmental and social determinants of health, and provided biospecimens of blood and saliva that have been used to derive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic datasets that will shed light on how the novel vaccines impact the immune system.

Studying immune response is a vital part of assessing vaccines, and COVAX's work is consistent with similar studies completed on other vaccines. The research is particularly important because two new vaccine delivery platforms were used: modified messenger RNA and vector DNA. It is particularly important because the original trials of this vaccines were meant to last for two years, but the placebo group was vaccinated only after two months. The study and the biobank have enormous international significance, yet, instead of answering vital questions about why Australia, one of the most highly vaccinated countries in the world, had such high excess mortality and so many cases of long COVID in vaccinated people, the study is being forced to close down. All Australians deserve answers to the questions these vaccines have raised.