Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is addressed to the Minister for Health and Ageing. Would the minister advise the House of steps the government is taking to protect Australians from a flu pandemic?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do appreciate the member for Stirling’s interest in this issue and I can inform him and the House that the World Health Organisation continues to believe that Australia is as well prepared as any other country on earth for a possible flu pandemic. I stress that a pandemic outbreak is possible. It is not probable, although the recent deaths of up to seven family members in Indonesia show that the danger remains real. So far the government has committed almost $600 million to pandemic preparedness. This money has, amongst other things, given us an antiviral stockpile that is building up to almost nine million courses, 50 million syringes and 40 million surgical masks. We will purchase up to five million doses of bird flu vaccine, should this pass appropriate tests. We are researching a range of bird flu issues including quick testing facilities, we are providing extra equipment to public hospitals and we have upgraded our laboratory and surveillance capacity.

Today the government has released a revised Australian health management plan for pandemic influenza. One of the features of the new plan is the stress on issues such as personal hygiene, social distancing and home quarantine as a means of preventing the spread of any pandemic outbreak. Today the government also announced details of Exercise Cumpston 06, which will be held over four days in October, to test our readiness to deal with infected travellers arriving at a major international airport. I have to say that any pandemic outbreak would certainly be an unprecedented test of our national character, but I am confident that the sorts of preparations that we have in place will help us to cope.