Coronavirus: Annastacia Palaszczuk pushes for delta data on children, Gladys Berejiklian urges leaders to follow national plan
Annastacia Palaszczuk stands firm on her push for new data about how the Delta variant affects children younger than 12.
Annastacia Palaszczuk has doubled down on her push for new data about how the Covid-19 delta variant affects children younger than 12 as she faces national backlash for casting doubt on Australia’s reopening plan.
The Queensland Premier said she wanted a detailed paper about the effects of the delta strain on children younger than 12 “that I can read and share with my Cabinet and share with Queenslanders”.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and chief medical officer Professor Paul Kelly responded by saying no vaccination program in the world had given jabs to children under 12.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday urged state and territory leaders to follow the national cabinet plan out of lockdowns, and said people needed to accept that “unfortunately, people will die”.
Ms Palaszczuk has declared border restrictions won’t lift until children have been vaccinated.
“This is a serious issue that needs a serious discussion,” she told parliament on Thursday morning. “These are questions that I want answers to. These are questions that Queenslanders want answers to.
“So rather than everyone attacking, let’s get the answers and let’s have serious discussions.”
I sympathise with people in other states enduring months of lockdown, but my job is to protect the people of Queensland. That's why I'm calling to see the detailed modelling. #covid19pic.twitter.com/Q10Gyb2OW1
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 2, 2021
If NSW is the model of what lies in store for all of us, then serious discussions are needed.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 2, 2021
Doherty Institute modelling predicts, even with 70% of the population vaccinated, 80 people will die each day six months after the outbreak.
That’s 2,240 who will die each month.
I sympathise with people interstate enduring months of lockdown, but my job is to protect Queenslanders.
— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) September 2, 2021
That’s what we’ve done since the start of the pandemic and we will continue to do.
That's why I'm calling to see detailed modelling so we can give Queenslanders answers.
Ms Palaszczuk said: “If NSW is the model of what lies in store for all of us, then serious discussions are needed. Doherty Institute modelling predicts, even with 70% of the population vaccinated, 80 people will die each day six months after the outbreak. That’s 2240 who will die each month.
“I sympathise with people interstate enduring months of lockdown, but my job is to protect Queenslanders. That’s what we’ve done since the start of the pandemic and we will continue to do. That’s why I’m calling to see detailed modelling so we can give Queenslanders answers.”
Berejiklian calls on leaders to accept national plan
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday urged state and territory leaders to accept the Doherty report and national cabinet’s pandemic plan, saying people need to accept “unfortunately people will die”.
“NSW has six to 800 people who die of the flu every year. If you extrapolate that across the nation … that is nearly 2500 people across the nation who die of the flu every year,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Now, I know this is a very difficult conversation to have. This is what will get us through, this is the light at the end of the tunnel, accepting Covid is part of our lives, accepting that unfortunately people will die, but they will be less likely to die if everybody is vaccinated.”
Health Minister rubbishes under-12s vaccine plan
Health Minister Greg Hunt said no vaccination program in the world had given jabs to children under 12.
“The entire national plan is about protecting all Australians. But it is predicated on protecting children,” he said in Canberra.
“There have been comments about vaccinating children under 12. There have been no vaccinations for children under 12 that have been approved and no national programs. of which we are aware, that have commenced (such vaccinations anywhere in the world.
“Following that health advice is absolutely fundamental.”
He accused Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of “profound moral failure” in not allowing children without their parents and cancer patients to cross the border.
Mr Hunt blasted the Queensland Labor leader for “misusing” Doherty Institute data to claim more than 2000 people a month will die once the nation opens up under the current national plan.
He said it was morally wrong that the child and others – such as cancer patients – cannot enter Queensland like players and families connected to the NRL finals can.
“We know that league players and partners have been allowed in Queensland. The fact that beautiful young children, and patients with cancer are being denied entry, reuniting with their families, or being treated, is I think a profound moral failure,” he said.
“Misusing the Doherty Institute data breaches good faith and damages public confidence.”
Labor MP calls for ‘full briefing’
Queensland Labor frontbencher Mark Bailey said the state government wanted to be “fully briefed” on how the delta variant affects young children despite receiving advice less than a month ago.
Advice published by Queensland Health on August 5 says “the vast majority of children with the Delta variant continue to experience a mild infection”.
Queensland Health advises about 10 per cent of babies “appear to need admission to hospital to receive oxygen, in a similar way to other winter viruses”.
“These are important and serious infections, but these babies almost all recover without needing support from intensive care. This is very different to the experience in the elderly, particularly those with existing health problems,” the advice reads.
But Mr Bailey, the state’s transport minister, said the advice was more than a month old and now 330 children were being admitted to hospitals in the United States each day with Delta.
“Well, a lot has happened in the past four weeks, you know 10,500 people have died from delta in the last week in the US.
“Let’s take the most recent information into account when it comes to making these decisions
“Let’s get real about this, this delta variant is the worst to date and that is what we are responding to and the safety of our kids is something every premier and every leader should be concerned about.”
Mr Bailey said the state had to “keep Covid out of Queensland until we get our vaccination rates up to a high level”, but could not quantify what that threshold would be.
“At the moment we are seeing a lot of the new [vaccine] supply go to NSW because they have botched it down there, they didn’t go hard and early like they should have.”
Additional reporting: Richard Ferguson
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