The Department of Health Aged Care has extended the online consultation process for Australia's new five-year National Immunisation Strategy, but patient groups question the process and its development.
The consultation, which is an online survey, was launched but not announced as a two-week process on 22 May. On the same day, the department publicly announced a six-week consultation process on the legislated framework for the Australian Sports Commission.
The department's consultation hub was updated late last week with the consultation survey now open until 19 June.
The department developed the new strategy based on consultation with what it described as "key selected stakeholders". These were the states and territories via the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, and the government-funded National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance. It did not consult patient or clinician groups or vaccine makers.
Better Access Australia slammed the strategy's development and the two-week consultation process, describing it as tokenistic and demonstrating a lack of respect for patients.
Other patient organisations, including those representing patients living with severely compromised immune conditions, have also expressed concern and frustration.
In correspondence seen by BioPharmaDispatch, a patient group says the process reflects more severe issues with Australia's policy framework for immunisation, specifically the consistent failure to properly consult with the most vulnerable patients.
