The Department of Health and Aged Care has given stakeholders two weeks to respond to Australia's new five-year National Immunisation Strategy.
According to the department, it "proposes a vision, mission, priority areas, and opportunities for action for the next Strategy."
The consultation is an online survey the department estimates will take 15 to 20 minutes.
The strategy does not mention the current Health Technology Assessment Review, which proposed abolishing the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Still, it does reference the 2009 Health Technology Assessment Review as a source.
In a statement, Better Access Australia said, "After six months of secret consultations with ‘key stakeholders’ Minister Butler has given patients, particularly adult patients, only two weeks to contribute to the future of their healthcare."
The organisation said it has written to the minister asking "for urgent action that shows respect for patient time and need by extending the current tokenistic consultation process."
The draft strategy claims it is informed by “consultation with the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) and selected key stakeholders in late 2023 and 2024.”
It goes on to say, “The intended audience for this consultation paper includes: - decision-makers at all levels, including Australian, state and territory governments who have responsibility for immunisation policies and programs, advisory committees and policy-making bodies at national and state and territory levels, national immunisation program managers, researchers and the research sector, vaccine industry, health professionals involved in immunisation service delivery, and people representing community perspectives on public and preventive health.”
"Can we ask Minister Butler where the recognition of the patient is in this process and who are your ‘key stakeholders’?" says Better Access Australia.
It says, "We are asking most respectfully for your recognition that the patients most disenfranchised by the current NIP [National Immunisation Program] rules, particularly those who are immunocompromised, are given fair and adequate time to respond to this paper, which could have significant impacts for their healthcare.
"Your ‘key stakeholders’ have had over six months, and sadly you are giving patients who will be directly impacted by this strategy only two weeks to participate. We do not think this is fair and equitable and reflective of a public health system."
