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Katie Woolf spoke with Health Minister Natasha Fyles · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: It is looking increasingly likely that there is going to
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  Speaker 1: be delays to Australia's COVID vaccine rollout, as the federal
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  Speaker 1: government have today announced that the Johnson and Johnson one
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  Speaker 1: dose vaccine is not going to be part of the
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  Speaker 1: vaccine rollout at this stage. The federal government confirmed that
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  Speaker 1: it would not purchase any doses from the company. Now,
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  Speaker 1: this Johnson and Johnson vaccine is based on similar technology,
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  Speaker 1: is what's been reported to the Astrosenica vaccine. A spokesperson
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  Speaker 1: for Health Minister the Federal Health Minister, Greg Hunt said
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  Speaker 1: those similarities were the reason that the Federal government had
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  Speaker 1: decided against pursuing this option any further joining me on
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  Speaker 1: the line well from Alice Springs as I understand it
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  Speaker 1: is the Health Minister for the Northern Territory, Natasha Files.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning, good.
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  Speaker 3: Morning, Katie, Good morning listeners.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Minister you had mentioned the Johnson and Johnson vaccine
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  Speaker 1: as another option when we spoke on Friday about the
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  Speaker 1: vaccine rollout during the week. That was by the look
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  Speaker 1: of it, this isn't going to be an option well
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  Speaker 1: for now, Laced how big an impact is this going
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  Speaker 1: to have on the Northern Territori's vaccine rollout.
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  Speaker 3: So, Katie, I think when I was talking during the week,
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  Speaker 3: it was about different vaccine options. I didn't mention Johnson
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  Speaker 3: and Johnson. I was talking about the novavac, which is
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  Speaker 3: another vaccine, so we know the Johnson and Johnson vaccines
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  Speaker 3: being utilized in the United States. It is, as you
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  Speaker 3: were just saying, a one dose vaccination. I had some
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  Speaker 3: time ago, our federal health authorities, you know, what options
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  Speaker 3: would that have in Australia, because clearly one dose would
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  Speaker 3: be easier to roll out, particularly in the territory situation,
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  Speaker 3: But they had indicated that it was still going through
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  Speaker 3: the processes, and we've seen the information you know, from
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  Speaker 3: the federal government today saying that they won't be placing
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  Speaker 3: in an order with that. But we certainly have got
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  Speaker 3: the Firezer, we've got the novovac, which they're working through
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  Speaker 3: the possibility of that vaccination. And it's also really important, Katie,
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  Speaker 3: for your listeners to understand that the AstraZeneca vaccine is
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  Speaker 3: still safe for certain cohorts. It is a very rare
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  Speaker 3: situation where though flood cuts do occur, but we need
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  Speaker 3: to look at the risk as we're talking about on
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  Speaker 3: Friday with the actual virus itself and the health impacts
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  Speaker 3: it can have, particularly on older territories. So we're certainly
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  Speaker 3: our vaccine program will be impacted by the astrosenica changing
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  Speaker 3: in the guidelines from a TARGI, which is immunization body
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  Speaker 3: that recommends under fifties don't have astrazenica. But it is
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  Speaker 3: still really important that people consider the risk of COVID
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  Speaker 3: and particularly on the elderly, how that virus can impact
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  Speaker 3: you and have catastrophic impact, and the vaccine and how
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  Speaker 3: helpful that can be.
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  Speaker 1: All right, So justin with sir Johnson and Johnson. So
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  Speaker 1: from your perspective, this isn't going to change the rollout
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  Speaker 1: in the Northern Territory in any way towards the end
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  Speaker 1: of the year or later in the year.
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  Speaker 3: But Katie, what I can say is that the changes
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  Speaker 3: with AstraZeneca guidelines will impact the vaccination rollout in the territory.
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  Speaker 3: In terms of Johnson and Johnson, we hadn't contemplated that
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  Speaker 3: for our vaccination program and so it won't have an impact.
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  Speaker 3: But certainly the changing guidelines from a TARGEI last week
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  Speaker 3: we'll have an impact on our vaccination program. So what
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  Speaker 3: we're doing, Katie, is We're going back and we're working.
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  Speaker 3: I've had conversations both Friday and yesterday with our health officials.
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  Speaker 3: We're looking at we do have a steady supply of
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  Speaker 3: FISA coming into the territory, and so how can we
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  Speaker 3: utilize the FISA for those that need that vaccine? Yes,
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  Speaker 3: Doersenica for those that are eligible for that, and continue
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  Speaker 3: to roll out our program. There are some changes. For example,
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  Speaker 3: fires there is a three week between the two doses,
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  Speaker 3: as Doersenica is nine to twelve weeks, So in terms
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  Speaker 3: of visiting remote communities, clearly that has an impact on
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  Speaker 3: our plans. But I'm confident we'll work through those changes
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  Speaker 3: and we'll still be able to deliver a strong vaccination program.
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  Speaker 3: In fact, we are, Katie. Over fifteen thousand territories have
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  Speaker 3: now been vaccinated. That's a combination of the MTG program
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  Speaker 3: and the Commonwealth program. Already in the Northern Terrectory have
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  Speaker 3: received the vaccine.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so I will get to those numbers in just
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  Speaker 1: a second, But just going back to the PISA vaccine
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  Speaker 1: here in the Northern Territory, the Chief Minister have mentioned
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  Speaker 1: on the show yesterday the files of vaccine is obviously
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  Speaker 1: the one that needs to be kept at those quite
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  Speaker 1: low temperatures, but that's going to be a difficulty as
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  Speaker 1: I understand it, in some of those more remote communities.
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  Speaker 1: So how are we going to be ensuring that people
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  Speaker 1: are vaccinated under the age of fifty in those remote communities.
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  Speaker 3: So, Katie, we did also see some changing information around
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  Speaker 3: the fires of vaccination late last week where the TGA,
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  Speaker 3: the Therapeutic Goods Administration, has said that it can be
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  Speaker 3: treated more like a normal vaccine, and so that means
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  Speaker 3: that it has to be kept at that very cold
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  Speaker 3: minus seventy for a period of time, but then it
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  Speaker 3: can be kept in normal freezers I believe for around
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  Speaker 3: two weeks, and then it can also have a period
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  Speaker 3: of refrigeration for a couple of days. So what that
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  Speaker 3: changed information will allow us to do is look at
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  Speaker 3: where we can store the vaccination once it comes into
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  Speaker 3: the territory, and then how we can roll that out
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  Speaker 3: into our communities, particularly you know, the remote communities, not
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  Speaker 3: the urban location.
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  Speaker 2: So it's not going to have an impact.
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  Speaker 1: We're not actually going to see an impact into terms
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  Speaker 1: of that cold storage going out to the communities.
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  Speaker 2: You're confident that we.
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  Speaker 1: Are going to still be able to roll out fizer
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  Speaker 1: to those under the age of fifty in the communities.
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  Speaker 3: So, Katie, the changes in the TGA guidelines as well
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  Speaker 3: as the ability for the fizer, it always has the
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  Speaker 3: ability that in small doses you could have it in
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  Speaker 3: smaller cold storage using dry ice, for example, and that
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  Speaker 3: would allow us to get it out to some of
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  Speaker 3: those areas where we have a small population but in
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  Speaker 3: a remote location. So I'm confident that we'll be able
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  Speaker 3: to roll out whatever vaccines needed right across the Northern Territory,
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  Speaker 3: but it will take a great level of planning and work,
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  Speaker 3: and that's being undertaken now, and it's going right back
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  Speaker 3: to looking at the doses that are coming into the
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  Speaker 3: territory and then also once we get those doses, how
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  Speaker 3: we can practically roll it out with that three weeks
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  Speaker 3: three weeks excuse me, turn around between dose one and
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  Speaker 3: three or one and a second dose.
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  Speaker 1: So, just going through those numbers, you said that fifteen
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  Speaker 1: thousand people have now been vaccinated here in the Northern Territory.
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  Speaker 1: So that's the most up to date figure as of
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  Speaker 1: the small warning.
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  Speaker 3: Katy. The latest figures that I've got from NT Health
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  Speaker 3: show that we've got very close to eleven thousand people
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  Speaker 3: have got the vaccination from NT Health. The Commonwealth vaccination
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  Speaker 3: has been around four and a half thousand people, and
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  Speaker 3: so in total it's over fifteen thousand and of that
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  Speaker 3: three thousand, seven hundred are the second dose of their vaccination,
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  Speaker 3: which means they're fully vaccinated against COVID nineteen.
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  Speaker 1: And have any of those taken place out in our
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  Speaker 1: remote communities yet or is that still the you know,
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  Speaker 1: those in urban centers and our frontline workers and those
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  Speaker 1: that were part of Phase one A.
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  Speaker 2: Was it?
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  Speaker 3: So that's Phase one A and some of Phase one
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  Speaker 3: B those territories that fall into those categories. The vaccination
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  Speaker 3: has been delivered, you know, from Central Australia, Ala Springs,
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  Speaker 3: Tenet Creek through to the top end in Norman Boy.
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  Speaker 3: I understand there's been very small numbers in the remote communities, Katie,
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  Speaker 3: and that's been staff that fall into that one A
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  Speaker 3: category and that's through the Commonwealth program, but very small numbers.
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  Speaker 3: We haven't rolled out the program in remote communities yet.
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  Speaker 2: When are you anticipating starting that?
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  Speaker 3: But Katie, we had hope to start that during April,
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  Speaker 3: and so that's the work that's now being relooked at
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  Speaker 3: with the changes to the AstraZeneca guidelines, because not only
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  Speaker 3: is it making sure that we've got the fires of
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  Speaker 3: vaccination and I'm confident we'll be able to store it
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  Speaker 3: and deliver it in remote communities, it's making sure that
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  Speaker 3: we've got enough vaccination and then the vaccination to back
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  Speaker 3: it up three weeks later for that second dose. It
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  Speaker 3: also greatly changes our program. We'd imagine we'd roll out
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  Speaker 3: three communities and then revisit in nine to twelve weeks. Clearly,
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  Speaker 3: when the first dose is and the second dose is
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  Speaker 3: only three weeks later, that changes all of those plans.
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  Speaker 3: So we're working in earnest in NT Health to look
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  Speaker 3: at those plans around how we'll change the delivery model.
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  Speaker 1: Now, So when do you anticipate that the rollout to
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  Speaker 1: those communities is now going to begin.
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  Speaker 3: I don't have a timeline, Katie, and I won't make one.
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  Speaker 3: We certainly are undertaking that work. Once that work's completed,
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  Speaker 3: which I imagine will be in the next couple of weeks,
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  Speaker 3: we'll share with the community the time frames around rolling
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  Speaker 3: out the vaccination. But we don't have that community transmission.
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  Speaker 3: There's no rush. Of course, we want to do it
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  Speaker 3: because we want to get back to life as normal
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  Speaker 3: as possible, but we have to make sure these plans
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  Speaker 3: are strong and that they'll uphold through the whole program.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, so by the sounds of things, there is going
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  Speaker 1: to be a delay in rolling out the vaccine to
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  Speaker 1: our remote communities. But at this point, given the fact
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  Speaker 1: we don't have community transmission, it's you know, it's not expected,
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  Speaker 1: and I'm sure it's not what you want, but it's
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  Speaker 1: also not unprecedented. I guess, given the fact that we've
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  Speaker 1: had these vaccine changes around the nation.
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  Speaker 3: Katie, when the vaccine changes that we saw announced from
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  Speaker 3: Astrozeneca last week absolutely have an impact on our vaccination
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  Speaker 3: roll out plans. We're not saying that that doesn't. But
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  Speaker 3: there's no need that we don't need to panic, we
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  Speaker 3: don't need to rush this. We need to get it right.
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  Speaker 3: So that's the work that we're undertaking so that we
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  Speaker 3: can be very thorough and we can deliver that vaccine
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  Speaker 3: in a safe manner and make sure we get that
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  Speaker 3: second dose all so out in the timeframes required.
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  Speaker 1: So from your perspective, when you look at the timeframe.
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  Speaker 1: So when you look at those timelines, it does sound
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  Speaker 1: like they're are delays, but the majority of that is
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  Speaker 1: when we talk about the delivery and remote communities. Are
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  Speaker 1: you quite happy with the progress at the moment when
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  Speaker 1: it comes to our urban centers, Katie.
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  Speaker 3: I'm pleased with the progress. So have fifteen thousand territorians
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  Speaker 3: have already received at least one dose of their vaccination
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  Speaker 3: is really great work and I thank everyone that's been
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  Speaker 3: a part of that. And I think that also we
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  Speaker 3: just need to repivot our plans based on the vaccine
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  Speaker 3: doses that we're getting. We've got a steady supply of
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  Speaker 3: the fires are coming into the territory and so we
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  Speaker 3: will continue to roll out this program and we will
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  Speaker 3: keep territory in safe.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Minister, let's move along. I understand that you
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  Speaker 1: are in Alice Springs at the moment for the part
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  Speaker 1: of the festival. How's it going, Katie.
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  Speaker 3: It's simply magnificent down here, you know, Alice in Central Australia. Well,
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  Speaker 3: having lived down here, the weather has just changed. I
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  Speaker 3: was here a couple of weeks ago and it was
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  Speaker 3: certainly a lot warmer, and so there's a real buzz
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  Speaker 3: around town. It's absolutely packed in terms of tourists. You
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  Speaker 3: cannot get accommodation, you can't get a rent a car,
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  Speaker 3: and Pachmo was simply spectacular and there's a lot of
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  Speaker 3: locals and visitors alike heading out there.
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  Speaker 1: How many people are there or how many visitors have
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  Speaker 1: we had to the Red Center for the festival so far, so.
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  Speaker 3: Katie, just the opening weekend, So the first three nights
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  Speaker 3: saw over eight thousand people attend the event and n
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  Speaker 3: teen major events have done a great job. Not only
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  Speaker 3: have they got the simply spectacular lighting display against the
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  Speaker 3: backdrop of the McDonald Rangers, but they've also got a
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  Speaker 3: number of interactive artists and performances and so it's really
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  Speaker 3: got people out. People are certainly talking about it, and
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  Speaker 3: if people haven't been there, they're planning on heading down.
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  Speaker 1: And I know at the moment, you know, it seems
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  Speaker 1: we can't get through an interview without having to talk
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  Speaker 1: about the issue of crime. But there has been reports
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  Speaker 1: of tour buses targeted by thieves in Central Australia.
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  Speaker 2: What are operators telling you?
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  Speaker 3: So caught up with tourism Central Australia. Yesterday we announced
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  Speaker 3: that package one point two million dollars to help those
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  Speaker 3: operators here in Central Australia who've been really impacted by
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  Speaker 3: a lack of international tourists. And those plans are rolling
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  Speaker 3: out well, but it was disappointing to hear that some
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  Speaker 3: out at Ullaru I understand that a bus had been
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  Speaker 3: left unlocked and had been targeted. It just, you know,
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  Speaker 3: ruins people's trips. They don't leave with a good feeling
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  Speaker 3: about the territory and it just one little incident underg
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  Speaker 3: all that good work. You know, operators are working so hard,
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  Speaker 3: going out of their way in really tough conditions that Katie.
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  Speaker 3: They've gone from a situation of no visitors to lots
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  Speaker 3: of visitors, but they're struggling to get staff. So they're
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  Speaker 3: doing everything, working really hard, so people have a magnificent
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  Speaker 3: time in the territory and then you have one incident
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  Speaker 3: like that and it ruins it.
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  Speaker 1: Well, we had the Opposition leader Leafanocchiaro on the show yesterday.
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  Speaker 1: She was saying that the gunn of Government needs to
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  Speaker 1: call or recall i should say, Parliament for a day
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  Speaker 1: to get this crime legislation across the line, get it
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  Speaker 1: happening sooner rather than later. I mean, do we need to.
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  Speaker 3: Do that, Katie. Community safety remains our highest priority. Police
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  Speaker 3: have put their resources in down here, working with the ngngos,
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  Speaker 3: working with the community to keep the community safe. Parliament
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  Speaker 3: is in just a few weeks time, and that legislation
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  Speaker 3: needs to be debated during those sittings, and so that
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  Speaker 3: we don't rush that and get something wrong simply by
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  Speaker 3: recalling it for the sake of a few weeks.
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  Speaker 1: Are you confident though, that that legislation is actually going
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  Speaker 1: to pass in May?
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  Speaker 3: So the advice I have is that will be ready
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  Speaker 3: to introduce The Chief Minister's indicated he wants to pass
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  Speaker 3: that on urgency, so that's what we're aiming for, all.
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  Speaker 1: Right, Minister for Health and also Minister for Tourism Natasha Fhiles,
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  Speaker 1: we are going to have to leave it there. We
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  Speaker 1: really appreciate your time this morning. What's the weather like
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  Speaker 1: in Alis?
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  Speaker 2: Just very quickly, Oh.
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  Speaker 3: Katie, it's beautiful. It's very cool at night, but the
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  Speaker 3: days that are simply spectaculous. As I said, there's a
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  Speaker 3: real buzz around the town. You can certainly feel that
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  Speaker 3: the tourism operators are feeling positive off the back of Parchmuth.
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  Speaker 3: So we hope that they have a really successful drive
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  Speaker 3: seas and we're certainly doing everything we can to support them.
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  Speaker 1: Natasha Files, thanks so much for having a chat with
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  Speaker 1: us this morning.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you