Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee [Part 2], , 3:18:31 to 3:23:24
Questioning of ATAGI regarding the scientific evidence and safety data used to recommend COVID-19 vaccination for pregnant women at various stages of the pandemic.
Topics: Health, Public safety
Speakers: Senator Alex Antic, Prof Katherine Gibney, Senator Ellie Whiteaker, Unknown Speaker, Prof Michael Kidd
>> it. It most certainly does not. That is not the question at all. Um, >> all right. So, we're having no luck with any of that. Let's move on. These are questions for Atagi. Um, Atagi recently updated its clinical advice regarding COVID vaccination. Uh, and COVID vaccination in pregnancy is now no longer routinely recommended, but all pregnant women uh are said are told they can consider a dose of the COVID 19 vaccine from 20 weeks gestation uh in each pregnancy. Um now pregnant women were excluded from the clinical trials. So what scientific evidence did a target base its recommendation that co 19 vaccination was safe at any stage uh of pregnancy in its 9 June 2021 joint statement with uh uh the college of general practitioners or rans cog.
>> Thank you senator. So um as you will recall um that was um at the height of the co pandemic and the um evidence that it reviewed included the safety evidence [clears throat] the safety profile of the vaccines um international experience including use in pregnant individuals and very importantly on the other side of the equation the risk that pregnant individuals faced from COVID 19 infection and at that stage we had a population who were entirely susceptible to CO and um quite a lot of severe disease. >> And so the advice um which was uh very well considered and across um a range of specialties as you said including our peak obstetric um obstetric body um balance the risks and benefits of the vaccine. >> Okay. So now
>> sorry
>> the current advice um which as you'll see has changed for several populations um or you know has shifted for several populations reflects the fact that now almost everyone in our population has been exposed to CO. So we're not a completely co naive population anymore and therefore the risks of a pregnant individual >> getting CO and getting severe disease and being hospitalized or the infant having um a severe outcome as a b as a result of a co infection is quite different to what it was in 2021.
>> Okay. So just off the bat I'd just note that you said pregnant individuals three times. Women normally get pregnant in my uh limited do but you know I'm not an expert. Um there have been recently released emails from January 2021 between uh Dr. Anthony Fouchy and the former CDC director Dr. Winsky which discussed a theoretical risk that fever and inflammation following vaccination could contribute to first trimester miscarriage. And soon after Professor Drew Wisman entered emailed Dr. Fouchy to alert him of new data showing that the mRNA lipid nanoparticles crossed the placenta, entered the fetus and generated viral proteins and triggering an immune response. Was it targeti aware of these findings when it issued the 9 June 2021 recommendation that vaccine was regarded as safe at any stage of
>> I would need to take that on notice. Thank you, Senator.
>> Says uh has become customary. Uh there are now over 300 reports of miscarriage following COVID vaccination in the database of adverse events. Has It subsequently re-evaluated these reports?
uh may have frozen. Professor, give me
>> might need an IT individual. >> Man or woman, whatever. Probably got a
>> Professor Gibney.
>> Tech issue.
>> Do you You're about to Oh, Professor
>> Yes. Sorry.
>> That's okay. Did you hear Senator Antic's question? We can hear you. Yes. Did you hear Senator Antic's question?
>> I heard I heard part of I heard part of it about um safety concerns and whether a target had considered >> Sorry, you might need to repeat.
>> I'll repeat. Yeah. Sorry. So, so the question was there are now over 300 reports of miscarriage following COVID vaccination on the database of adverse events. Has a target re-evaluated those reports or subsequently re-evaluated It's all right. I don't think anyone's doing
>> take that on notice.
>> I think that one might be on notice.
Yes. Okay, Senator Antic, you're about to come up to time and I need to rotate the call.
>> Might be a good time to do it, I think.
>> Great. Okay, we'll do that. Excellent. Uh, thank you, Senator Whitten. three