MDP 84 GPO Box 9848 Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone: (02) 6289 8408 Facsimile: (02) 6285 1994
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
Professor Jim Bishop AO
MD MMed MBBS FRACP FRCPA
Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer
MEDIA STATEMENT
25th June 2009
Indigenous Australians recognised in H1N1 Influenza 09 Health Response
All of Australia is now responding to the outbreak of H1N1 Influenza 09 in the PROTECT
pandemic alert phase which is concentrating our efforts on caring for the most medically
vulnerable in our community.
The new phase recognises that the infection with H1N1 Influenza 09 is not as severe as
originally envisaged when the Australian Health Management Plan for Pandemic Influenza
(AHMPPI) was written in 2008 and that this new disease is mild in most cases, severe in
some and moderate overall.
PROTECT phase places a greater focus on treating and caring for people in whom the disease
may be severe.
Indigenous Australians living in remote communities are being targeted in this new health
management phase with responses that are flexible to meet the individual circumstances in
communities.
We know that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have a higher incidence of
other medical conditions and all governments have mounted an appropriate response to
mitigate the effects of the disease on people whose pre-existing medical conditions make
them vulnerable to H1N1 influenza 09.
I have made antivirals (tamiflu) available to the NT, South Australian and West Australian
governments from the National Medical Stockpile for pre-deployment in communities. Its use
will be judged clinically on a case by case basis, depending on the risk of influenza to
vulnerable individuals.
Widespread use of Tamiflu as a preventive measure across remote Indigenous communities
would not be an appropriate use of the available antivirals but in some cases it will be the
right thing to do to if people are identified at particular risk, or to contain the disease in
certain circumstances.
It is a delicate balance between protecting remote Indigenous communities from H1N1
Influenza 09 and making sure that antivirals are well targeted.
The Commonwealth is working closely with the States and Territories on responsible
arrangements to protect Indigenous people, including support for Aboriginal Medical
Services and plans to retrieve people from remote areas quickly if they require
hospitalisation.
We are consulting with governments, health professionals and Indigenous organisations to
provide appropriate, on going responses, including the development of an Indigenous
appendix to the new PROTECT pandemic alert phase Annex to the national pandemic
influensa plan which sets out guide lines for case management, contact management, access
to antiviral treatment and personal protective equipment (including pre-positioning for remote
locations), governance arrangements and a framework to assist Aboriginal Medical Services
with local planning.
Media contact: Kay McNiece, 0412 132 585
NEWS 
