❓ Hon James Hayward questions the Minister for Health regarding the WA Vaccine Safety Surveillance system, specifically concerning the detection and reporting of vaccine safety signals in 2021 and 2022, and the accessibility of this data to the public.
AnsweredQoN 254Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
VACCINE SAFETY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM — ANNUAL
REPORTS
254. Hon JAMES HAYWARD to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the Western Australian Vaccine Safety Surveillance system and I note
that the Western Australian vaccine safety surveillance:
Annual report 2020 explicitly states —
No safety
signals were detected for any of the vaccines administered in 2020.
(1) Were any safety signals detected
for any of the vaccines administered in 2021 or 2022?
(2) If the answer
to (1) is not available, how does the government currently define and determine
the safety of vaccines?
(3) Does a lag in
reporting by the WAVSS, such as the 2021 report being released in 2023, result
in the community not being informed about vaccine safety in a timely manner?
(4) Why is
vaccine safety data not available on an online dashboard wherein the public can
be kept informed of data trends, as was done for COVID-19 cases,
hospitalisations and deaths?
REPORTS
254. Hon JAMES HAYWARD to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Health:
I
refer to the Western Australian Vaccine Safety Surveillance system and I note
that the Western Australian vaccine safety surveillance:
Annual report 2020 explicitly states —
No safety
signals were detected for any of the vaccines administered in 2020.
(1) Were any safety signals detected
for any of the vaccines administered in 2021 or 2022?
(2) If the answer
to (1) is not available, how does the government currently define and determine
the safety of vaccines?
(3) Does a lag in
reporting by the WAVSS, such as the 2021 report being released in 2023, result
in the community not being informed about vaccine safety in a timely manner?
(4) Why is
vaccine safety data not available on an online dashboard wherein the public can
be kept informed of data trends, as was done for COVID-19 cases,
hospitalisations and deaths?
AnswerView source ↗
(1) Yes.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) No. WA's vaccine safety signals
corresponded to those experienced nationally and were reported nationally via the Therapeutic Goods Administration and AusVaxSafety public websites.
Regular communication from the Western Australian
Department of Health with vaccine providers and clinicians regarding potential and actual safety signals was carried out when needed.
(4) WA's
vaccine safety data was reported via an online dashboard as part of national
reporting on the Therapeutic Goods Administration and AusVaxSafety websites
during 2021 and 2022. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has since moved from
an online dashboard to fortnightly summary reports.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) No. WA's vaccine safety signals
corresponded to those experienced nationally and were reported nationally via the Therapeutic Goods Administration and AusVaxSafety public websites.
Regular communication from the Western Australian
Department of Health with vaccine providers and clinicians regarding potential and actual safety signals was carried out when needed.
(4) WA's
vaccine safety data was reported via an online dashboard as part of national
reporting on the Therapeutic Goods Administration and AusVaxSafety websites
during 2021 and 2022. The Therapeutic Goods Administration has since moved from
an online dashboard to fortnightly summary reports.
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