VACCINATION —
INFLUENZA
625. Hon JACQUI BOYDELL to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the minister's
recent comments urging Western Australians to get the influenza vaccine and the
potential public health crisis due to general shortages of that vaccine.
(1) Will the
minister table the current stocks of influenza vaccine available for patients
considered not high risk in the major regional centres of Broome, Carnarvon,
Kalgoorlie, Karratha, Kununurra, Newman and Port Hedland?
(2) If there are
no stocks currently available in those regional centres, will the minister
please provide an indicative delivery date?
Hon
ALANNA CLOHESY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The WA
Country Health Service provides the influenza vaccine through the national
immunisation program for patients considered at greatest risk of complications
from influenza. Patients considered not high risk are able to access the
influenza vaccine from private market supplies. The state government does not
manage or have oversight of private market influenza vaccine supplies or
distribution.
(2) Not applicable.