Thursday, 4 May 2023

Eastern Victoria Region

Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (12:51): (155) My question is for the Minister for Health. When will this government consider adopting more lenient measures on the COVID vaccine mandates to address the ongoing nurse shortages in this state? My constituent Josh contacted me on behalf of his wife, who due to a significant health issue was given an exemption by her GP not to go beyond two doses of the COVID vaccine. She is unable to work. New South Wales have already dropped their mandate standards to two rather than three. Josh told me the following:

It seems staggering to me that despite staff shortages at the Angliss, and my wife’s strong desire to work, there remains NO possibility of her returning due to what is now an arbitrary measure. We remain strong advocates of public health measures taken through the pandemic (including vaccinations) but these surely need to be balanced out by the effect on the individual …

Health information shows that more than 21 per cent of children on the waitlist at the Royal Children’s have to wait more than one year. Something must change.