Council backs petition concerns

NARACOORTE Lucindale Council Mayor Patrick Ross has welcomed feedback from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care outlining the thorough assessments undertaken in relation to vaccination safety, efficacy and effectiveness.

At its March Ordinary Meeting, following receipt by Council of a petition containing 26 signatures, Council resolved to write to State and Federal Health Ministers and their Shadow counterparts requesting that, in the interest of the community, all steps be pursued to ensure all vaccinations were tested to ensure they were free from contaminates and safe.

“Council was seeking to represent some of the concerns in the community and, I want to stress, there was no intention to dissuade people from vaccination,” Mayor Ross said.

“The intent of Council’s resolution was to seek assurances, rather than question the efficacy and safety of vaccinations.

“I strongly urge community members to get vaccinated or, if they have any doubts, to speak to their medical practitioner. Time is of the essence as we are on the cusp of the flu season and we know the impact this can have, particularly on the vulnerable within our community.

“Talk to your doctor or pharmacist and protect your health and the health of our community by having a jab.”

The correspondence to Council from David Sperring, Director of the National Immunisation Division of the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care, assured Council the COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Australia have been thoroughly assessed by the TGA and found to be safe and effective:

“The Australian Government strongly supports immunisation as a safe and effective public-health measure to reduce the impact of many diseases in the community that can cause hospitalisation, serious ongoing health conditions, or even death.

“For this reason, decisions regarding COVID-19 vaccines have been, and continue to be, based on the expert advice of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).

“Alongside the TGA, experts in ATAGI closely monitor all https://www.tga.gov.au/current and emerging evidence on COVID-19 vaccines to make recommendations to the Government on whether to include a vaccine in the National COVID-19 Vaccine Program. This includes safety, efficacy and effectiveness data from clinical trials, data on waning of immunity and local and international epidemiology.

“The TGA recognises that like all medicines, COVID-19 vaccines may cause some side effects, and has thus established robust monitoring processes for vaccine safety. These include close collaboration with Australian stakeholders, including state and territory health departments, professional bodies and international regulators.”

Mayor Ross encouraged people to visit the Therapeutic Goods Administration website at https://www.tga.gov.au/ for further information about the safety of COVID-19, and other, vaccinations.