Tuesday, 28 May 2024

Respiratory syncytial virus vaccination

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Health. This winter every baby in Queensland and Western Australia can be immunised against the dangerous respiratory virus RSV because those state governments ordered vaccine supplies. Why will most babies in Victoria miss out on an RSV vaccination?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:23): I thank the member for Kew for her question, which I welcome. Let us be clear: here in Victoria it is our health clinicians who make decisions about which vaccines and drug treatments we order or do not order, and when we were approached by a pharmaceutical company with a drug that had not yet been approved by the TGA the department did not purchase that at that time.

There are a few things that I need to say about RSV. Obviously winter presents a whole range of respiratory challenges. I know some of our colleagues are being impacted by them right now: flu, COVID and RSV. It is a really great opportunity to remind everyone in this chamber to make sure they are up to date with their COVID and flu vaccines and in particular that children have a flu vaccine. We are a bit alarmed at how few children are actually getting their flu vaccine, despite the fact that it is on the national immunisation program. I want to assure everyone that we have secured a supply of the new drug, and it is available to those children who are at risk and are in hospital, so they are highly susceptible to a severe impact of RSV, now that it has been approved by the TGA. We have secured that supply.

Public confidence in immunisation programs is absolutely critical. We know that there are those who have stood around while a whole lot of misinformation has been spread about vaccines. As health minister I want to encourage people to listen to clinical advice, to listen to clinicians and to act accordingly. I want to once again assure you that the Royal Children’s Hospital have a range of treatments that have been available for children with RSV, and they will continue to deliver those treatments.

Jess WILSON (Kew) (14:25): How many times did the minister or her department reject Sanofi’s proposals to secure sufficient RSV vaccinations for Victorian babies?

Mary-Anne THOMAS (Macedon – Leader of the House, Minister for Health, Minister for Health Infrastructure, Minister for Ambulance Services) (14:26): The Department of Health is not in the business of buying vaccines from drug companies that have not received TGA approval.