David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government. Could the minister outline the steps that the Morrison-McCormack government is taking to ensure the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines and how this rollout will make Australia a stronger nation?

Mark Coulton (Parkes, Deputy-Speaker, Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to acknowledge the member for Lyne and recognise his long career as a medical professional looking after regional Australia. The first thing we need to acknowledge with the vaccine rollout in Australia is that it is safe. The scrutiny that the vaccines have gone through to gain approval in Australia through the TGA is second to none anywhere in the world. The second thing is that everywhere in Australia will be covered. Regardless of whether you live in a regional centre or a more isolated community, everyone will have access to the vaccine. It will be done in an orderly manner, with different demographics prioritised. Many members might be aware that a few days ago the state governments announced their hubs for the storage of the Pfizer vaccine across the country. They are merely storage and distribution hubs. When that vaccine is thawed, it will be distributed right across the network. The priority will be frontline health workers and then, through another arrangement that the Commonwealth has with a logistics and delivery company, the other priority will be aged-care residents and aged-care workers, along with the disability sector. Then, as production ramps up—and we are, indeed, in a privileged situation in this country as we will be manufacturing our own vaccine—it will be rolled out across the rest of Australia.

As we've relied on the health networks across Australia during the last 12 months to keep the government informed and the community supported through the coronavirus pandemic, so we'll be going to GPs, community pharmacies, the local primary health networks, state government health networks and Aboriginal controlled health networks. In some cases in the smaller communities, it may involve flying squads coming in to set up clinics to deliver it in those areas. To enable it to happen, the government is already training a surge workforce so they can go out to these areas. Over the next weeks and months the entire population will be covered. The people who will be doing this are the same people who have kept us safe for the last 12 months. Because of the health professionals—the nurses, the doctors, the pharmacists and others—who have looked after us, regional Australia is possibly the safest place in the world to have been in the last 12 months. Those of us here also have a role to play. We need to make sure that this rollout happens smoothly. If any issues come up, please contact us. (Time expired)