❓ Hon Ben Dawkins questions the WA Department of Health regarding a 12% decline in birth rates since early 2021 and whether it's linked to the COVID-19 vaccination program. The Minister for Health responds that birth rates are similar to other jurisdictions and cites TGA advice that COVID-19 vaccines don't cause infertility.
AnsweredQoN 754Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
BIRTH RATES
754. Hon BEN DAWKINS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the most recent data
published by the WA Department of Health relating to the number of women who
gave birth. It is in inverted commas —
Hon Sue Ellery : Which bit?
Hon BEN DAWKINS : Relating to
the—inverted commas—number of women who gave birth—end
of inverted commas—in the period from January 2021 to March 2024.
(1) What action,
if any, has the department taken to determine the cause of the significant 12 per
cent decline in births in WA since early 2021?
(2) Has the
department ruled out that the decline in births is associated with or due to
the COVID-19 vaccination program?
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
754. Hon BEN DAWKINS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Health:
I refer to the most recent data
published by the WA Department of Health relating to the number of women who
gave birth. It is in inverted commas —
Hon Sue Ellery : Which bit?
Hon BEN DAWKINS : Relating to
the—inverted commas—number of women who gave birth—end
of inverted commas—in the period from January 2021 to March 2024.
(1) What action,
if any, has the department taken to determine the cause of the significant 12 per
cent decline in births in WA since early 2021?
(2) Has the
department ruled out that the decline in births is associated with or due to
the COVID-19 vaccination program?
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Health.
(1) Birth rates in WA are similar to
those in other jurisdictions.
(2) The department follows the advice provided by the
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation— ATAGI—and
the Therapeutic Goods Administration—TGA—in relation to
vaccines. In a statement published in April 2022, the TGA advised that there
was no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility in males or females,
or any future infertility in children.
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
some notice of the question. The following answer has been provided by the
Minister for Health.
(1) Birth rates in WA are similar to
those in other jurisdictions.
(2) The department follows the advice provided by the
Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation— ATAGI—and
the Therapeutic Goods Administration—TGA—in relation to
vaccines. In a statement published in April 2022, the TGA advised that there
was no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility in males or females,
or any future infertility in children.
Several members interjected.
The PRESIDENT : Order!
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