TRANSCRIPT: WAGGA WAGGA MEDIA CONFERENCE FRIDAY 29 JANUARY 2021

E&OE

Subjects: Regional Australia’s coronavirus vaccine roll-out; St Lawrence Aged Care Centre 

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

Well, good morning and I am really pleased that Wagga Wagga Base Hospital is going to be one of 11 centres – 11 hospitals – throughout New South Wales to roll out the first vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine, which of course, as we know, has to be stored below minus 70 degrees Celsius, for doctors within the health system. I've just spoken to the Chief Executive of the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, Jill Ludford and they are ready and very, very able to be able to roll-out the vaccine when it becomes first available. I'm delighted that Wagga Wagga has been chosen as one of the first sites in New South Wales, indeed in the country, to be rolling out the vaccine.  

This follows on, of course, from the Federal Government sponsoring and supporting the first respiratory clinics and Wagga Wagga was the first regional respiratory clinic back in April for New South Wales. So Wagga Wagga is at the forefront of our battle against COVID-19. And we are getting through COVID-19. Of course, it's been very, very difficult and I say again to Australians, thank you so much for what you've done so far. It's still important to exercise social distancing. It's still important to wear masks when you're supposed to do so. It's still important that we follow the best possible medical advice, right down from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, from Professor Paul Kelly, the Acting Chief Medical Officer, from Brendan Murphy, of course who's filled that role so admirably over so many months through the COVID-crisis. And of course our Chief Medical Officers in the states. This hasn't been easy. But regional Australia has led the way and that's why largely we are living life as we otherwise normally would. Yes, there are some restrictions. Of course, there are some places where you are required to wear a mask and we thank Australians, particularly regional Australians, for doing just that – it has been difficult. Regional Australia is leading the COVID-recovery through agriculture, through resources and through what we've done as communities to keep our areas, our towns, our cities such as Wagga Wagga and others besides, largely COVID-free. As well as Wagga Wagga with the COVID vaccine, the Pfizer vaccine, also Dubbo will be another one of those 11 sites – 11 hospitals – and that's important for my electorate, for the Riverina and Central West because, of course, many people from Parkes and Forbes in the northern part of the local area that I so proudly serve, they go to Dubbo for their medical services and of course, they'll be utilising that.  

But this is for doctors – this is for doctors within the system. This is also for the aged care residents within the Murrumbidgee Local Health District system and also for those workers in those aged care centres. So the fuller roll-out of the COVID vaccine of course will follow. There'll be the AstraZeneca that will be through GP clinics. Those have not been yet announced of course, but it will be largely, broadly GP clinics right throughout the Riverina and Central West, indeed right throughout regional Australia and the rest of the nation.  

But this is an important breakthrough and an important step forward with Wagga Wagga Base Hospital chosen as one of the first 11 medical sites to be rolling out Pfizer for those specialist medical people, for those doctors, for those health care workers within the Murrumbidgee Local Health District system. So certainly Wagga Wagga is at the forefront of the COVID-recovery.  

JOURNALIST  

Why Wagga Wagga and why Dubbo?  

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

Well they're large regional centres and we want to make sure that we get the vaccine out as soon as we can and of course, the vaccine will be available. Minister Greg Hunt has said all the way along we're looking at a late February roll-out so we're working very steadily towards that. We haven't got all our eggs in one basket. We've made sure that we've got AstraZeneca, we've made sure that we've rolled this out in a very practical and safe way. This is keeping our medical professionals safe and through them the community safe. This is about making sure that our regional communities are as safe and as COVID-free as they can be.  

JOURNALIST  

Why exactly Dubbo over somewhere like Orange or Bathurst as well?  

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

Well, I haven't got the full list right in front of me, but Dubbo and Wagga Wagga Hospitals are of course the hubs of huge regional centres and of course as the vaccine rolls out, of course there will be other centres such as Orange and other centres looked at. But for the immediate roll-out, 11 sites were chosen by New South Wales Health, I have to put them in the frame because New South Wales Health has been magnificent the whole way through. I've spoken with the Minister any number of times and he's been very, very good, both at the macro level but also on the micro level, helping patients and people with quarantining and any local issues. He's always been only too happy to take my calls and only too happy to act on those calls. I'm very, very thankful for what's been done on the state front. New South Wales has been the standard bearer as far as making sure that we've kept all Australian communities safe through COVID-19. And I applaud what New South Wales Health has done, but of course this vaccine is going to be free of charge to Australian residents, of course, via the Federal Government. Not only are we going to make it free of charge for Australian residents but indeed our South Pacific Island friends too, because that's what good neighbours do.  

JOURNALIST  

So the roll-out will go deep into regional Australia to ensure people don't have to do a six-hour round trip?  

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

We're endeavouring to make it available to as many sites so that people do not have to travel hours and hours and hours to get a jab. We want as many Australians, in fact all Australians, to take advantage of that because the more people who get vaccinated, the more people who take the vaccine, the less chance we have of outbreaks and that's critical. We want Australia to be safe. It's much better to get that jab, to get those doses and it could be one or two to get the full suite of safety from COVID-19. Better to get that jab than weeks later be in ICU and regretting that you didn't. So it's pretty simple.  

JOURNALIST

Can you confirm at this stage that we will be able to get the Pfizer vaccines to Wagga by the end of February?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Look, that's the timeline that we're working at for the medical professionals within the Murrumbidgee Local Health District. That's what I've just spoken to Jill Ludford about. That's the time frame that we're working towards. But if it's not late February, then early March, but rest assured Wagga Wagga has been chosen. The Base Hospital has been chosen to be one of the leading sites and one of the first sites throughout New South Wales for the roll-out of the vaccine. 

JOURNALIST

And are all health care workers and MLHD eligible for that first roll-out or are there specific professionals that –

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Within the Murrumbidgee Local Health District that's what I've been advised.  

JOURNALIST

Do you have any figures on how many vaccines will be delivered initially?

MICHAEL McCORMACK

Well, it will be enough to ensure that all those workers, all those specialists, all those doctors within the system can receive the jab, can receive the vaccine, as well as those aged care residents within the system and indeed the workers who care for them too.  

So, this is a relatively large roll-out. We're making sure that we're forward leaning, we're working through New South Wales Health. Minister Greg Hunt has been working with each and every State and Territory authority to make sure that we have this roll-out as smooth and practical as possible. Yes, there will be hiccups along the way. It's a big roll-out. There's 25 million Australians and of course, once we have the doctors and the health care workers done, of course then there's a system by which first responders, aged care workers of course, aged care residents, we're making sure that meat workers will be amongst the first to receive the jab. And of course then it will become available to others through their local GP clinic. We want as many Australians by mid-year to have had the vaccine once it's available, to get that vaccine to keep their communities, to keep their families, to keep themselves COVID-free and COVID-safe.

JOURNALIST

When will [indistinct] the Harden Medical Centre?  

MICHAEL McCORMACK 

Well, I've been speaking with the Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck on a daily basis. I've been speaking to people such as Christopher Manchester who I know was one of those responsible for having the Harden facility set up when it moved from Galong about 13 years ago. This is a very good facility. It's only 13 years old, it’s right next door to the ambulance station, it’s right next door to the multipurpose health centre there. I know I've been working also with Steph Cooke, the Member for Cootamundra. Both her and I of course want the very best for the residents, as does the community. If you have a nan or pop or indeed, mum or dad, in that aged care facility at Harden you don't want to have to drive to Young or Cootamundra. Some people don't have the capacity to do just that, so when you've got a 45-bed aged care facility right in your hometown and your loved family member is in that facility, well you want that facility to stay open.  

I've also spoken about a number of prospective buyers. Look, I appreciate that St Lawrence are looking at consolidating, they're looking at both their nearby facilities. But that's cold comfort I guess for the residents who've come to call that facility home, who've perhaps lived at Harden most if not all of their lives. So I'll be working very closely with the current owners to make sure that the transition is as smooth as possible. But we'll be doing what we can to keep that facility open. Whether it's once all the residents have been moved out to other nearby facilities or whether it's before that, but we want the absolute best possible options available for Harden residents. Yes, it's a little community but little communities they have to be able to have aged care as well because it's also an ageing community and we want the very best, that's why I've been working around the clock with the right people to get the right outcomes.

JOURNALIST

Would you say to people who might have some concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines that Australia is [inaudible].

MICHAEL McCORMACK

It's not hard to get a needle in your arm. Better to get a jab in your arm than in a few weeks' time be lying in ICU, can't catch your breath and be wondering why you didn't do it. I mean it makes pretty easy sense to get that vaccine shot, to get that COVID shot and to have that peace of mind, not only for yourself but for those around you, for those you love and for those you may not even know. It's pretty easy. It's pretty simple. Get the shot, do the right thing. Not just for yourself but for others as well.

Thank you very much.

Ken Grimson