Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

My question, of which I gave informal notice earlier today, is to Senator Ludwig, Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. My question relates to the lack of Commonwealth funding for a vaccine for swine flu, which has been developed by researchers at South Australia’s Flinders Medical Centre, Vaxine, which is totally synthetic and is suitable for use by the 300,000 Australians who are allergic to eggs and may experience adverse reactions to the CSL vaccine. Can the minister explain on what basis this company was overlooked by the Commonwealth government in favour of the CSL vaccine when the government committed to ordering 21 million doses of swine flu vaccine at a cost believed to be in the vicinity of $200 million?