House debates

Tuesday, 16 March 2021

Questions without Notice

COVID-19: Vaccination

2:46 pm

Photo of Mark ButlerMark Butler (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the House of Representatives) Share this | | Hansard source

My question is for the Prime Minister. Does the call by the Deputy Leader of the National Party in the Senate, Senator Canavan, for the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be suspended reflect government policy? Does the Prime Minister agree that the repeated freelancing from government members on COVID vaccinations has the potential to seriously undermine public confidence in the vaccine rollout?

2:47 pm

Photo of Scott MorrisonScott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | | Hansard source

Of course it doesn't represent government policy. I think that, at all times, Australians should be looking to the official advice, which is based on the medical expert opinion of the government's advisers, when it comes to vaccinations. I think it's incumbent on all of us here in this place to be supporting that vaccination program. All of us should be doing that, not seeking to undermine it by making false claims about rollouts or anything like that. We've seen that quite a bit from the opposition over the course of this pandemic. We've seen quite a bit of the opposition talking out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to the government's leadership and when it comes to responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic response of the government.

So, yes, the government's policy when it comes to the vaccination program is very clear, and I encourage all members to be supporting the government in the rollout of the vaccination and not seek to undermine it. I ask the Minister for Health to add further to the answer.

2:48 pm

Photo of Greg HuntGreg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | | Hansard source

The government clearly, unequivocally and absolutely supports the AstraZeneca rollout—clearly, unequivocally and absolutely. The reason is simple: it will help save lives and protect lives. The government has done so on the basis of medical advice. Today, the government has had renewed advice supporting the vaccination program from the Chief Medical Officer of Australia, from the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia and from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. The TGA said today:

The TGA does not have any evidence of a biologically plausible relationship that could suggest a cause and effect relationship between vaccination and blood clots.

The Chief Medical Officer of Australia has said:

The Australian Government remains confident in the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and there is currently no evidence that it causes blood clots.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has said: 'Based on evidence to date, ATAGI do not see any reason to pause use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Australia.' That's in accordance with the advice of the World Health Organization, the European Medicines Agency and the United Kingdom's MHRA. It's also what we see in relation to our own evidence here in Australia. So our view is crystal clear and unequivocal: we support this program. We support the continued rollout. There have been views expressed; we disagree with them—clearly, absolutely and unequivocally. That is our position. At the same time, by the end of today, we expect to reach 200,000 vaccinations—45,000 people in aged care in over 500 aged-care facilities. These vaccines will save lives and protect lives.