1
00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,440
Speaker 1: Mix one o four point nine dot com for all

2
00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,360
Speaker 1: the latest news and information now three sixty with Katie Wolf.

3
00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,920
Speaker 1: Everyone is listening Mix one oh four point nine one

4
00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:11,680
Speaker 1: hundred percent.

5
00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:14,080
Speaker 2: Quite a bit happening around the place.

6
00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,599
Speaker 3: We know that at the moment, doctors are calling for

7
00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,840
Speaker 3: more effective communication strategies to convince people to get the

8
00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:25,080
Speaker 3: COVID nineteen vaccine, warning that Ozzie's are sitting ducks until

9
00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:29,600
Speaker 3: a much larger portion of the population is protected. So

10
00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:33,800
Speaker 3: the Australian Medical Association nationally is worried about the COVID

11
00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:37,320
Speaker 3: nineteen complacency that we are seeing, and earlier in the

12
00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,720
Speaker 3: week we did indeed talk about the number of Territorians

13
00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,040
Speaker 3: who've been vaccinated. We know that we're not really where

14
00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,440
Speaker 3: we should be at this point in time. The Chief

15
00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,360
Speaker 3: Minister talked us through why we are in the situation

16
00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,080
Speaker 3: that we're in and that we are looking at. You know,

17
00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:54,120
Speaker 3: when we go out to some of the remote communities

18
00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,840
Speaker 3: vaccinating the whole community at once, and some of those

19
00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,040
Speaker 3: things are having a bit of an impact on the

20
00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,560
Speaker 3: number of people that have been vaccinated in the territory

21
00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,280
Speaker 3: so far. But joining us on the line right now

22
00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,200
Speaker 3: to talk further about this. The head of the Australian

23
00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:12,679
Speaker 3: Medical Association's Northern Territory branch, Dr Robert Parker, Good morning

24
00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:13,080
Speaker 3: to you.

25
00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:17,000
Speaker 4: Morning, Katy. I'm talking to you from cold hober You

26
00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:19,639
Speaker 4: College Congress there, Oh.

27
00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:20,200
Speaker 2: There you go.

28
00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,160
Speaker 3: Well, we're working hard, no doubt, but I'm not envious

29
00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:25,720
Speaker 3: of you being freezing cold.

30
00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,800
Speaker 2: There, Dr Parker. It's beautiful here at the moment.

31
00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:31,360
Speaker 3: Now, I do want to talk to you about this

32
00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,320
Speaker 3: situation where we've got doctors nationally calling for a more

33
00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,959
Speaker 3: effective communications strategy in an effort to try to convince

34
00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:42,640
Speaker 3: people to get the COVID nineteen vaccine, warning that Ozzie's

35
00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,560
Speaker 3: are sitting ducks until a much larger portion of the

36
00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:47,800
Speaker 3: population is protected.

37
00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:50,360
Speaker 2: Dr Parker, what needs to happen here?

38
00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:54,600
Speaker 4: Well, Katie, I think I think thanks to all the

39
00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:57,560
Speaker 4: very significant health protection measures of the Australian government start

40
00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:00,800
Speaker 4: up to date, we are very well, we have been

41
00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:05,440
Speaker 4: very well protected and unfortunately it's an air of run

42
00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,120
Speaker 4: reality because the virus is still around. I mean, there's

43
00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:10,600
Speaker 4: probably no better case at the moment of Taiwan, where

44
00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,520
Speaker 4: they've done in a very effective health program. No one

45
00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,600
Speaker 4: was immunized. Now they've got a massive problem where the

46
00:02:16,680 --> 00:02:22,040
Speaker 4: viruses come in and there's massive community concern and pressure

47
00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,560
Speaker 4: for people to get vaccinated when there's very low vaccination rates. Really,

48
00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,840
Speaker 4: this virus is going to be around the planet probably

49
00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,080
Speaker 4: for the next few years, and really the only effective

50
00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:32,760
Speaker 4: measure we've got at the moment to deal with it

51
00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:38,600
Speaker 4: is vaccination. And you know, again, I think people, I mean,

52
00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,000
Speaker 4: we've had these lockdowns in Melbourne, We've had the occasional

53
00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,400
Speaker 4: looks in other states where people have suddenly become aware

54
00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,519
Speaker 4: of the very real consequences of COVID. We've escaped the

55
00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,079
Speaker 4: massive consequences overseas where there's been very large numbers of

56
00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,520
Speaker 4: people affected, large numbers of debts which have affected a

57
00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,680
Speaker 4: lot of families personally, and I think that's made people

58
00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,560
Speaker 4: a lot more aware of the value of vaccination. So

59
00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,359
Speaker 4: good on the Australian government for keeping us safe. But

60
00:03:01,639 --> 00:03:03,560
Speaker 4: if we need to progress forward, we need to we

61
00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:04,720
Speaker 4: all need to be vaccinated.

62
00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,480
Speaker 3: Yeah, and it does seem as though we are a

63
00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,119
Speaker 3: little bit complacent here in Australia.

64
00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:10,680
Speaker 2: I think you've hit the nail on the head there.

65
00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:12,960
Speaker 3: We've just not been impacted in the same way that

66
00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,800
Speaker 3: people in other countries have been so I guess to

67
00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,200
Speaker 3: some degree we feel a bit removed from it all.

68
00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,399
Speaker 3: You know, how can we really entice people to get

69
00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:24,240
Speaker 3: out there and roll up their sleeves.

70
00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,440
Speaker 4: Well, again, part of the whole issue of courses, this

71
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,840
Speaker 4: fear about the AZ vaccination for people under fifty, and

72
00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:32,520
Speaker 4: I think people have got a right to be fearful,

73
00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:35,080
Speaker 4: but to be well informed. And it is a very

74
00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,960
Speaker 4: very rare event, this issue of blood clots. But I

75
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,360
Speaker 4: think people again maybe waiting for the more availability of

76
00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:44,400
Speaker 4: the fires A vaccine.

77
00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:44,880
Speaker 1: Yeah.

78
00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,320
Speaker 4: I mean, if I'm over fifty years probably everyone doing so,

79
00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:49,320
Speaker 4: I'd be rushing it to get the AZ. I've had

80
00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,440
Speaker 4: the Visor vaccine, but if I had, I'd have been

81
00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,880
Speaker 4: very happy to have the AZ vaccine. And I think

82
00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,160
Speaker 4: everyone you know has got a right to be informed

83
00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,840
Speaker 4: and also concerned about the top vaccine they get. But

84
00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,920
Speaker 4: as soon as the appropriate vaccination is available, they've got

85
00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,680
Speaker 4: I suppose the juju to them their families in society

86
00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:09,720
Speaker 4: to get the vaccine as soon as possible.

87
00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,960
Speaker 3: Now we know here in the Northern Territory the rollout

88
00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,440
Speaker 3: really hasn't been as well. The take up, I should

89
00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,080
Speaker 3: say hasn't been as good as what we would hope.

90
00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,159
Speaker 3: I said to the Chief Minister on Monday. On Tuesday,

91
00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,000
Speaker 3: we know that now in Alice Springs, anybody over the

92
00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,040
Speaker 3: age of sixteen is actually eligible to go and get

93
00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:31,240
Speaker 3: the vaccine. It's a similar situation I understand in our

94
00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:35,200
Speaker 3: other regional towns. Do you reckon, we just need to

95
00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,360
Speaker 3: bite the bullet and do the same here in Darwin.

96
00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:40,200
Speaker 3: Anybody over the age of sixteen should be eligible.

97
00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:43,359
Speaker 4: Yeah, of course they should. And of course the problem is,

98
00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:47,159
Speaker 4: as I've always emphasized, we've got thirty percent of the

99
00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:51,120
Speaker 4: population of the territories indigenous. This population is very vulnerable

100
00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,120
Speaker 4: too COVID because of the large amounts of other ruleness

101
00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,440
Speaker 4: that they have, and you know, the factors that it

102
00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:01,080
Speaker 4: gets into a place like Gaje Norrella Springs highly likely

103
00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:03,760
Speaker 4: to spread out to the communities. Some of the communities

104
00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,320
Speaker 4: such as the Tea. We are very enthusiastically embraced the

105
00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:09,960
Speaker 4: vaccination program, and good on them. I think that's great,

106
00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:12,120
Speaker 4: but I think there is a risk. If you know,

107
00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:13,800
Speaker 4: it gets in to day on a rail of Springs,

108
00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:15,880
Speaker 4: it's highly likely to get out of the communities, and

109
00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,400
Speaker 4: particularly they haven't been vaccinated individuals, it's likely to lead

110
00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,839
Speaker 4: to very significant problems for those individuals.

111
00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:22,440
Speaker 2: Yeah.

112
00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,720
Speaker 3: And doctor Parker, I mean there's been discussion today this

113
00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:30,080
Speaker 3: morning about an interstate vaccine passport. I mean, would having

114
00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,200
Speaker 3: to have something like that, do you reckon motivate people

115
00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,440
Speaker 3: to get their vaccination potentially?

116
00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,320
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think anything that works, and maybe you have

117
00:05:38,400 --> 00:05:40,640
Speaker 4: to use a bit of the character, bit of a stick.

118
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:43,400
Speaker 4: But I think again this air of complacency that's currently

119
00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,800
Speaker 4: affecting the Australian population because theyre real concerned. And I mean,

120
00:05:47,279 --> 00:05:49,240
Speaker 4: you know, Taiwan is a very good example of you

121
00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:52,440
Speaker 4: get complacent and look what happened. So I think we

122
00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,039
Speaker 4: need to be very active in this process to get

123
00:05:55,279 --> 00:05:57,680
Speaker 4: the entire population vaccinated as soon as possible.

124
00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,760
Speaker 3: And doctor Parker, you are the head of the AMA,

125
00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:04,640
Speaker 3: the Australian Medical Association for the Northern Territory, the president.

126
00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:07,920
Speaker 3: What would you say to anybody listening this morning who

127
00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:10,200
Speaker 3: thinks that the vaccine is not necessary?

128
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:12,240
Speaker 2: Be informed.

129
00:06:12,279 --> 00:06:15,039
Speaker 4: Look at the news about Taiwan, look at what's happened

130
00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:17,400
Speaker 4: in the UK and US where there's in large numbers

131
00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:20,160
Speaker 4: of people have died from it, and how enthusiastic. Did

132
00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:25,640
Speaker 4: those populations have adopted vaccination because they recognize how dangerous

133
00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,640
Speaker 4: as virus is, what can happen to people, Doctor.

134
00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:30,640
Speaker 3: Robert Parker, anything else we should be aware of this

135
00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:31,760
Speaker 3: morning before we let you go.

136
00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:34,800
Speaker 4: Well, it looks like we may have had a result

137
00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:36,720
Speaker 4: with a road and a second road and to rualdo

138
00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:39,400
Speaker 4: On Hospital. I understand there has been a study that

139
00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,120
Speaker 4: is recommended a second road and to ruled On Hospital

140
00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,240
Speaker 4: so we can avoid the total chaos of the kerde

141
00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,640
Speaker 4: last year. And we had a blockage to the only entrance.

142
00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:49,919
Speaker 4: So we're certainly going to be pursuing that with the

143
00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:52,359
Speaker 4: Health Minister to see if we can get a second

144
00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,320
Speaker 4: road into Urdh developed as soon as possible.

145
00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:55,039
Speaker 2: Oh, good on you.

146
00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,040
Speaker 3: I know that this is something you've been pushing hard

147
00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,480
Speaker 3: for and no doubt all of the staff out there

148
00:06:59,520 --> 00:07:03,440
Speaker 3: at Royalty and Hospital, particularly after what we saw last year,

149
00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:05,800
Speaker 3: let us know how you progress with that, would be

150
00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:06,839
Speaker 3: keen to catch up again.

151
00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:09,320
Speaker 4: Oh that'll be good, Thank you, thank you.

152
00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:12,400
Speaker 2: That is doctor Robert Parker there, the head of the

153
00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:12,880
Speaker 2: AMA