❓ The Premier updates the house on WA's COVID-19 vaccination rollout, particularly for children, highlighting school vaccination programs and urging parents to consent. He condemns anti-vaxxer activity and reaffirms the government's commitment to mandatory vaccination policies.
AnsweredQoN 694Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
VACCINATIONS — ACCESS
694. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Premier:
I refer to the rollout of the
COVID-19 vaccination program and the state government's effort in
getting all eligible Western Australians vaccinated. Can the Premier update the
house on how the government is making it easier for more eligible Western Australians
to access vaccinations, particularly for children over the age of 12 years?
VACCINATIONS — ACCESS
694. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Premier:
I refer to the rollout of the
COVID-19 vaccination program and the state government's effort in
getting all eligible Western Australians vaccinated. Can the Premier update the
house on how the government is making it easier for more eligible Western Australians
to access vaccinations, particularly for children over the age of 12 years?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Burns Beach
for the question. As I just indicated, the COVID pandemic is a long way from
being over. In Victoria yesterday, 25 people died from COVID-19, in a single
day. That means we have to continue to be cautious and vigilant as we get more
people vaccinated. We now have issued more than three million doses of vaccine
in Western Australia. That means, today, we expect 60 per cent of all Western Australians
aged 12 years and over will now be fully
vaccinated, and around 77 per cent of Western Australians above the age of 12 years
will have had at least one dose. I would like to thank all those Western
Australians who have done that.
Today,
we also went to a high school in the electorate of the member for Butler;
Attorney General, and opened a clinic at Butler College. We know the Delta
variant can spread very quickly through schools and children. Our school vaccination
program is in full swing. The Child and Adolescent Health Service was there
delivering vaccinations to many students in the school. We are doing that in a range
of schools across the state, and, indeed, we are bussing students from schools
to vaccination clinics to get it done. We know that we need the consent forms
to be signed by parents. I urge parents to please sign the consent forms so
that we can get children vaccinated to protect their health, their family's
health and their community's health. It is very important that parents
do that.
I want to comment on one other thing. There have been some
extremely disturbing events lately—extremely disturbing—from some of the anti-vaxxers out there. I just want
to make it totally clear. There have been some extremely disturbing
events and incidents from anti-vaxxers, including one overnight. I would like
to pass my thoughts and regards on to the police officers who had to confront
that ridiculously awful situation in Cockburn. The government is not going to waver. We are not going to give in
in our commitment to protect Western Australians. Our mandatory vaccination
policy will continue; it will not change. To all the anti-vaxxers and
protesters out there at media outlets, at
Parliament, at people's offices, wherever they may be, intimidation and
bullying is not going to achieve anything . The efforts that people are
going to in relation to these protests and attacks are futile. We are not going
to give in on what we are doing. You need to stop this now.
Although
it is clear that the government will not give in, I want to urge all those
people out there: please stop reading misleading, manipulative and inaccurate
information that you see online. The people peddling that information are
telling untruths. It is causing you
pain and distress and it is causing the community pain and distress. Please
listen to the real medical advice, which is to go and get vaccinated now. Do
it for yourself, for your family and your community. Do it for WA.
for the question. As I just indicated, the COVID pandemic is a long way from
being over. In Victoria yesterday, 25 people died from COVID-19, in a single
day. That means we have to continue to be cautious and vigilant as we get more
people vaccinated. We now have issued more than three million doses of vaccine
in Western Australia. That means, today, we expect 60 per cent of all Western Australians
aged 12 years and over will now be fully
vaccinated, and around 77 per cent of Western Australians above the age of 12 years
will have had at least one dose. I would like to thank all those Western
Australians who have done that.
Today,
we also went to a high school in the electorate of the member for Butler;
Attorney General, and opened a clinic at Butler College. We know the Delta
variant can spread very quickly through schools and children. Our school vaccination
program is in full swing. The Child and Adolescent Health Service was there
delivering vaccinations to many students in the school. We are doing that in a range
of schools across the state, and, indeed, we are bussing students from schools
to vaccination clinics to get it done. We know that we need the consent forms
to be signed by parents. I urge parents to please sign the consent forms so
that we can get children vaccinated to protect their health, their family's
health and their community's health. It is very important that parents
do that.
I want to comment on one other thing. There have been some
extremely disturbing events lately—extremely disturbing—from some of the anti-vaxxers out there. I just want
to make it totally clear. There have been some extremely disturbing
events and incidents from anti-vaxxers, including one overnight. I would like
to pass my thoughts and regards on to the police officers who had to confront
that ridiculously awful situation in Cockburn. The government is not going to waver. We are not going to give in
in our commitment to protect Western Australians. Our mandatory vaccination
policy will continue; it will not change. To all the anti-vaxxers and
protesters out there at media outlets, at
Parliament, at people's offices, wherever they may be, intimidation and
bullying is not going to achieve anything . The efforts that people are
going to in relation to these protests and attacks are futile. We are not going
to give in on what we are doing. You need to stop this now.
Although
it is clear that the government will not give in, I want to urge all those
people out there: please stop reading misleading, manipulative and inaccurate
information that you see online. The people peddling that information are
telling untruths. It is causing you
pain and distress and it is causing the community pain and distress. Please
listen to the real medical advice, which is to go and get vaccinated now. Do
it for yourself, for your family and your community. Do it for WA.
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