2021-08-06
The Greens have called on National Cabinet, who have so far agreed in principle to the Prime Minister’s latest vaccination plan, to demand it include children.
Greens Leader Adam Bandt, says growing evidence shows that vaccinating younger people is vital to reducing COVID spread and deaths.
- More than 2000 children (0-9) have contracted COVID and over 3000 (10-19). Which means 5000 children and teenagers have contracted the virus since the pandemic began in Australia. With the numbers of children contracting the delta strain growing.
- Recent outbreaks in NSW, Victoria and QLD have all involved kids and schools.
- 1 in 4 people contracting COVID in the recent NSW outbreak have been children.
- Teenagers (16-19) have the lowest vaccination rate of the eligible population with only 2.7% having had both jabs.
- In the United States medical experts are reporting growing rates of children and teenagers contracting the disease and falling sick.
Quotes attributable to Greens Leader Adam Bandt:
“I am pleading with the Premiers to get the Prime Minister to include children in his vaccinations targets and rollout.
“National Cabinet can’t let Scott Morrison fudge the numbers by excluding children from vaccine targets.
“Delta is deadly and it’s hitting children and teenagers.
“We have to get our kids vaccinated, but the Prime Minister’s vaccination targets don’t include children.
“5000 children and teenagers have already been infected with COVID here. Children and schools across the country have been hit in recent outbreaks.
“If we don’t include children in the vaccination targets and rollout, more people will get sick and more people will die.
“Dr Anthony Fauci saved the US from Donald Trump’s health catastrophe, and he is urging countries to immunise their children.
“After the government ignored the Greens calls for months to prioritise publicly-owned vaccine production, the country is now desperately playing catch up. An obvious lesson of the Delta variant is that rich countries like Australia should be producing masses of vaccines for home and our neighbours, so that we can make every kind of vaccine we need right here.”