The Turnbull Government needs to come clean and tell parents the truth about when they will be able to protect their children against the deadly meningococcal B disease.
As reported today, desperate parents are being forced to doorknock pharmacies and endure ongoing waits to get even a single shot of the Bexsero vaccine for their children.
This is despite the Minister boasting he had acted on the shortages, having a “firm conversation” with the manufacturer to restore supply to Australia – comments which misled parents into the false hope that they would be able to protect their children.
The Government was informed in January that Bexsero supply shortages would be ongoing until the end of July, and yet they have not provided parents with the information they need and deserve.
Parents deserve the most up-to-date information possible about when they can obtain this vaccine for their child.
In November, Labor wrote to the Government to outline our concerns about the ongoing shortage of the meningococcal B vaccine, and we were informed that the shortage was expected to cease at the end of January. This did not happen.
While this shortage is ongoing parents will continue to be turned away from protecting their children.
The Government must take immediate action to help Australians protect their children from this devastating disease – starting by giving Australian parents accurate information about when they will be able to access the vaccine, and why they have been forced to wait so long.
MONDAY, 27 MARCH 2017