❓ The Minister for Preventative Health addresses the house regarding the government's plan to expand free RSV vaccinations for older Western Australians in aged care, building on the existing infant immunisation program. The announcement was welcomed by the RACGP.
AnsweredQoN 48Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Health—Aged care—Vaccinations48.Mr Stephen Prattto
theMinister for Preventative Health:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring all Western Australians have access
to the health care they need when they need it. Can the minister update the house
on how the government will deliver additional vaccinations to older Western
Australians in aged care and how this builds on our successful respiratory
syncytial virus infant immunisation program?
theMinister for Preventative Health:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to ensuring all Western Australians have access
to the health care they need when they need it. Can the minister update the house
on how the government will deliver additional vaccinations to older Western
Australians in aged care and how this builds on our successful respiratory
syncytial virus infant immunisation program?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
19 February 2026
Response time
0 days
Ms Sabine Winton replied:I thank the member for the question, and I commend him
on his strong advocacy and support of the wellbeing ofthe constituents in his
electorate. The Cook Labor government is proud of our strong history of
supporting preventive measures to keep Western Australians well. We know that
immunisations play a critically important part in that effort. This morning, I
was very proud to join the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors to announce the
expansion of the free respiratory syncytial virus vaccination program for older
Western Australians who are living in aged-care facilities in preparation for the
2026 winter respiratory illness season. We know that every year respiratory
infections, including RSV, sweeps through aged-care centres. Last year, in fact,
there were over 12,000 RSV cases statewide, with around one-third of those in
our aged-care centres. This investment by us to support residents in aged care
is critically important as winter approaches.This announcement of
course builds on our nation-leading RSV vaccinations for newborns and children
up to the age of two and mums. We know that that very successful program in the
last two years has seen the hospitalisations of infants decline by some 500. We
know that immunisations are an absolutely critically important part.We have also
announced for this year's winter strategy FluMist, an intra-nasal vaccine,
which we hope is going to be a game changer, particularly for those we know are
the superspreaders amongst us in the community—those aged between two
and 12 years. The nasal administration of a vaccine is a game changer for many
families who have challenges in taking their young ones to a doctor to get a
needle.It was really pleasing
also this morning to see that the WA chair of the Royal Australasian College of
General Practitioners, Dr Ramya Raman—I love meeting with her—has
welcomed today's announcement, stating:The RACGP welcomes
the Cook Government's commitment to preventive health. Offering free,
evidence-based access to high-quality vaccines for vulnerable groups is a smart
investment that will save lives and strengthen our entire health system.Our government is
proud to be supporting vaccination programs. We know that vaccinations are
critically important to protect not only members and their families, but also
the entire community. As we head into winter, I call on everyone to play their
part as leaders of our community to make sure that we positively promote
immunisations all around.
Health—Aged care—Vaccinations
on his strong advocacy and support of the wellbeing ofthe constituents in his
electorate. The Cook Labor government is proud of our strong history of
supporting preventive measures to keep Western Australians well. We know that
immunisations play a critically important part in that effort. This morning, I
was very proud to join the Minister for Aged Care and Seniors to announce the
expansion of the free respiratory syncytial virus vaccination program for older
Western Australians who are living in aged-care facilities in preparation for the
2026 winter respiratory illness season. We know that every year respiratory
infections, including RSV, sweeps through aged-care centres. Last year, in fact,
there were over 12,000 RSV cases statewide, with around one-third of those in
our aged-care centres. This investment by us to support residents in aged care
is critically important as winter approaches.This announcement of
course builds on our nation-leading RSV vaccinations for newborns and children
up to the age of two and mums. We know that that very successful program in the
last two years has seen the hospitalisations of infants decline by some 500. We
know that immunisations are an absolutely critically important part.We have also
announced for this year's winter strategy FluMist, an intra-nasal vaccine,
which we hope is going to be a game changer, particularly for those we know are
the superspreaders amongst us in the community—those aged between two
and 12 years. The nasal administration of a vaccine is a game changer for many
families who have challenges in taking their young ones to a doctor to get a
needle.It was really pleasing
also this morning to see that the WA chair of the Royal Australasian College of
General Practitioners, Dr Ramya Raman—I love meeting with her—has
welcomed today's announcement, stating:The RACGP welcomes
the Cook Government's commitment to preventive health. Offering free,
evidence-based access to high-quality vaccines for vulnerable groups is a smart
investment that will save lives and strengthen our entire health system.Our government is
proud to be supporting vaccination programs. We know that vaccinations are
critically important to protect not only members and their families, but also
the entire community. As we head into winter, I call on everyone to play their
part as leaders of our community to make sure that we positively promote
immunisations all around.
Health—Aged care—Vaccinations
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.