❓ Dr. Honey questions the Minister for Health about the use of Omicron-specific pandemic modelling in guiding the government's response. The Minister responds that modelling is only one factor in decision-making, alongside vaccination rates and vulnerable populations.
AnsweredQoN 7Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS — HEALTH MODELLING — OMICRON
VARIANT
7. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the growing outbreak of
Omicron in Western Australia.
(1) Has the minister used any pandemic modelling
specific to the Omicron variant in guiding the government's
response?
(2) If so, how long has this
modelling been in use?
VARIANT
7. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the growing outbreak of
Omicron in Western Australia.
(1) Has the minister used any pandemic modelling
specific to the Omicron variant in guiding the government's
response?
(2) If so, how long has this
modelling been in use?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
will answer almost exactly the same question asked previously by the
opposition. I wonder whether they actually talk to each other. Modelling has
been undertaken by the Chief Health Officer and by the public health experts in
the department who have guided us safely through this challenging period.
Modelling, as I have said before, is one
part of a number of parts that we need to consider when we are making decisions .
It is just one part of the equation. Although modelling might be available,
also other data is available that we need to consider, including vaccination
rates, vulnerable people, people in our community who have not had the opportunity to get their third dose,
and making sure children going back to school have had all their vaccinations.
I will not, hand on heart, make decisions based purely on a mathematical
exercise. We, as a public health exercise, have to take into account all those
considerations. The member and the opposition can singly focus on modelling.
Modelling will be available when it has a full dataset, but other things are at
play right now that we need to take
into consideration. We are seeing outbreaks in aged-care centres. We need to
make sure that people in those aged-care facilities are fully vaccinated. The
commonwealth has done two streams of vaccination programs through aged care,
but they have missed a number of residents. It is fair to say that they have
missed a number of residents, so we are reaching out and going into those
aged-care centres to make sure those residents who want to be fully vaccinated
with their third dose will get their third dose. We are also seeing antivirals
being sent from the commonwealth. They are on their way. That will provide
protection for those very vulnerable residents. Hence the sensible decision to
shift the transition settings so we bought ourselves more time to get people
vaccinated and protect vulnerable people.
will answer almost exactly the same question asked previously by the
opposition. I wonder whether they actually talk to each other. Modelling has
been undertaken by the Chief Health Officer and by the public health experts in
the department who have guided us safely through this challenging period.
Modelling, as I have said before, is one
part of a number of parts that we need to consider when we are making decisions .
It is just one part of the equation. Although modelling might be available,
also other data is available that we need to consider, including vaccination
rates, vulnerable people, people in our community who have not had the opportunity to get their third dose,
and making sure children going back to school have had all their vaccinations.
I will not, hand on heart, make decisions based purely on a mathematical
exercise. We, as a public health exercise, have to take into account all those
considerations. The member and the opposition can singly focus on modelling.
Modelling will be available when it has a full dataset, but other things are at
play right now that we need to take
into consideration. We are seeing outbreaks in aged-care centres. We need to
make sure that people in those aged-care facilities are fully vaccinated. The
commonwealth has done two streams of vaccination programs through aged care,
but they have missed a number of residents. It is fair to say that they have
missed a number of residents, so we are reaching out and going into those
aged-care centres to make sure those residents who want to be fully vaccinated
with their third dose will get their third dose. We are also seeing antivirals
being sent from the commonwealth. They are on their way. That will provide
protection for those very vulnerable residents. Hence the sensible decision to
shift the transition settings so we bought ourselves more time to get people
vaccinated and protect vulnerable people.
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