Wednesday, 23 February 2022

COVID-19 vaccination

Mr LIMBRICK (South Eastern Metropolitan) (18:09): (1765) My adjournment item today is for the Minister for Health. I have been contacted by a large number of constituents since Novavax has been approved for use in Australia about how it fits into the vaccination mandates for workers. As the government would be aware, there are a number of people in the community who wanted to wait for their preferred vaccines and exercise their right to choose what goes into their bodies. I expect that the availability of this vaccine will increase vaccine rates more than any continued mandates.

However, the advice surrounding Novavax has been extremely unclear. Currently the Department of Health website says that Novavax is approved for first and second doses at least three weeks apart, but it is not approved for a third dose unless that person is immunocompromised. This means a number of workers subject to booster mandates who are waiting for Novavax to get their first vaccination are now being told they cannot possibly get there anyway. Are people with the recommended two doses of Novavax considered fully vaccinated? It seems that both members of the community and employers, and possibly the government themselves, are confused about this.

The government have done everything they can—and far more than I think they should—to increase vaccination rates, but if people who have waited for Novavax cannot re-enter the workforce and get their rights back, they might not bother getting it. There are many reasons why people choose to or choose not to get vaccinated, but this clearly adds an unnecessary disincentive. With that in mind, my request to the health minister is to amend any relevant pandemic orders to allow people who have had two doses of the Novavax vaccine to be considered fully vaccinated, in line with the government advice which clearly states a third dose is not required.