Category: Australian News

Seven clinical trials testing the use of potential breakthrough combination therapies to treat debilitating mental illnesses will receive a total of almost $15 million from the Morrison Government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
It is estimated four million Australians experience a mental health disorder ever year, and almost half of all Australians will be affected at some point in their lifetime. Depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders are the most common mental illnesses affecting Australians. Not all patients achieve good results from standard treatments, and few new medications have become available in recent years.
However, there is growing evidence that substances such as psilocybin, and 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), dimethyltryptamine (DMT), and cannabidiol (CBD) when used in a controlled environment and supported by psychological/ psychiatric care, may help treat mental illness that has not responded to other treatments.
The seven projects awarded funding under the Government’s Innovative Therapies for Mental Illness Grant will accelerate global efforts to find new treatments for mental illness by supporting Australian-led research into the safety and efficacy of these drugs compared to standard therapies when used in controlled conditions and accompanied by psychotherapy.
The trials have the potential to provide breakthrough treatment for people suffering from persistent mental illness including major depression with alcohol use, anorexia nervosa, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders.
The largest of the grants, more than $3.8 million, will go to a research team at the University of Melbourne for a trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment resistant social anxiety in young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Social anxiety is common in young adults with autism and adds to their disability and distress. Current treatments are often ineffective.
Other trials will use psilocybin for anorexia nervosa, depression and alcohol use; MDMA for alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder; CBD for anxiety disorders in youth; and DMT for major depression and alcohol use.
All the trials are subject to regulatory approvals, including additional approval requirements from states and territories for the use of these drugs.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said the Government’s MRFF is helping ensure that Australia’s medical research sector remains at the forefront of global innovation.
“It is vital that we continue to support the search for new and better treatments for mental illness. This funding will boost local research into potentially life-saving therapies and offers hope all those suffering from mental illness,” Minister Hunt said.
Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, said mental health and suicide prevention is one of the Government’s highest priorities.
“The prevalence and impact of mental illness is devastating for individuals, families and communities. This research is about ensuring that we explore every avenue of potential treatment for Australians diagnosed with a mental illness,” Assistant Minister Coleman said.
The Government’s Medical Research Future Fund is a $20 billion endowment fund, providing sustainable support for Australia’s best and brightest researchers. Further information about the Medical Research Future Fund is available at www.health.gov.au/mrff

National Cabinet met today to discuss our response to COVID-19 and the Omicron variant, new approaches to test, trace isolate and quarantine including the use of rapid antigen tests (RATs) and the vaccine rollout and booster programme.
The Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly provided an update on the spread of the Omicron variant. Omicron case numbers continue to increase in Australia and globally. Omicron continues to show greater infectivity than the Delta variant, but with less severity.
Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 612,106 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 2,289 people have died. More than 56 million tests have been undertaken, with 1,643,841 million tests reported in the past 7 days.
Globally there have been over 294.9 million cases and sadly over 5.4 million deaths, with 2.6 million new cases and 7,169 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to surge in many countries around the world.
National Cabinet received a detailed update on Australia’s COVID-19 vaccination program from Lieutenant General John Frewen, Coordinator General of Operation COVID Shield.
Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out continues to expand. To date 43 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Australia, including 212,497 in the previous 24 hours.
In the previous 7 days, more than 754,500 vaccines have been administered in Australia. More than 94.5 per cent of the Australian population aged 16 years and over have now had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, including 98.7 per cent of Australians aged 50 years of age and over and more than 99 per cent of Australians aged 70 years of age and over.
More than 91.6 per cent of Australians aged 16 years and over are now fully vaccinated including more than 96.8 per cent of Australians aged 50 years of age and over and more than 99 per cent of Australians aged 70 years of age and over.
Over 2.7 million booster doses have been administered. Australia has sufficient supplies of boosters, with nearly 18 million mRNA vaccines in stock in Australia. Yesterday, over 176,000 boosters were administered across Australia. Following the widening of eligibility for boosters on 4 January to those who had their second dose at least four months earlier, over 33.8 per cent of those eligible for boosters have had a booster and 28.6 per cent of Australians aged 70 years of age and over have had a booster in the last 8 weeks since the booster program commenced.
National Cabinet will meet again on Thursday 13 January 2022.
Rapid Antigen Tests
National Cabinet noted that COVID-19 tests are free and available at state testing clinics for people who have symptoms or are a close contact.
National Cabinet agreed that up to 10 Rapid Antigen Tests over three months (a maximum of 5 in a month) will be made available free through pharmacies to people holding the following cards:

• Pension Concession Card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Care Card
• Department of Veterans’ Affairs Gold, White or Orange Card
• Health Care Card
• Low Income Health Card

These free tests will become available in the next two weeks. However, anyone with COVID-19 symptoms and close contacts should attend a state clinic for free testing and not go to a pharmacy to receive a free test. Costs for providing these tests will be shared 50:50 between the Commonwealth and the States and Territories consistent with COVID shared funding agreements.
National Cabinet noted the Commonwealth will provide 10 million RATs to states and territories (a combination of predominantly Point of Care Tests and self tests) to assist with testing and laboratory capacity. National Cabinet agreed to fund these in line with the existing National Partnership Agreement on the COVID-19 Response.
National Cabinet received a briefing from Joe Buffone, Director-General of Emergency Management Australia, on behalf of the National Coordination Mechanism (NCM). Supply chain issues continue to be one of the main disruptors of broad access to RATs. National Cabinet noted that the Commonwealth is working through the NCM to finalise anti-hoarding measures with the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and other major retailers that stock RATs to limit the number of RATs available for sale to each individual.
National Cabinet noted the Commonwealth will prohibit price gouging of and the non-commercial export of RATs, similar to actions taken earlier in the pandemic relating to essential goods such as masks, other PPE and hand sanitiser. As was the case previously, price gouging will be defined as supplying or offering to supply essential goods at a price that is more than 120% of the initial purchase price (a 20% markup) and penalties for not complying with this direction will range up to five years imprisonment or $66,000.
Changes to testing requirements
National Cabinet agreed changes to testing requirements for all states except for Western Australia including:

• Removing the requirement for truck drivers to have rolling seven days tests.
• Testing will not be required before patients present to hospital.
• Confirmation PCR test will not be required after a positive RAT. Individual states and territories will provide further information on how a positive RAT will be recorded. Anyone who tests positive is encouraged to contact their GP for support as required.
• Testing before interstate travel will no longer be required except for Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia, with Queensland and Tasmania to review these requirements in the coming weeks. State testing clinics will not be able to be used for interstate travel purposes.
• A second post arrival test for international travelers will not be required except for Queensland, who will review this requirement when they reach 90 per cent double vaccination rate.

Workplace Health and Safety
National Cabinet noted the impact on business of current state workplace Health and Safety laws that could imply requiring employees to return a negative RAT test in order to present to work. National Cabinet agreed the Commonwealth Attorney General will convene a meeting of relevant ministers from all jurisdictions to consider workplace health and safety requirements with a view to removing any potential obligation to impose testing requirements in workplaces on employees
National Return to School Framework
National Cabinet tasked the First Secretaries Group (FSG) let by Mr Phil Gaetjens, Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to develop a national framework to enable students to return to school on day one of term one, and for schools to stay open with consistent requirements across all jurisdictions to be in place prior to the first day of the first term of school. The FSG will report back to National Cabinet at the next meeting.

Two clinical trials which could save lives through new therapies to treat breast cancers that have low rates of survival have been funded, thanks to the Morrison Government.
Tragically, young women diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher rate of recurrence and death from the disease.
To combat this, researchers at the University of Melbourne have conducted a genomic analysis of breast cancer samples from women under 45 years of age. They have identified a new drug target that may improve the prognosis for these young women.
The Morrison Government is directing more than $4.9 million to the researchers to evaluate these new therapies in a clinical trial.
In addition, researchers at the University of New South Wales have turned their attention to treatment resistant triple-negative breast cancer, where new therapies are urgently needed to improve survival rates.
The researchers discovered that blocking what’s called an androgen receptor prevents and treats chemotherapy-resistant triple-negative breast cancer. Pre-clinical models have shown that, when combined with chemotherapy, overall survival rates are significantly improved.
The researchers will use almost $670,000 in Government funding to test this new therapy in a clinical trial.
The funding for both of these trials has been provided through the Medical Research Future Fund’s (MRFF) Rare Cancers, Rare Diseases and Unmet Need (RCRDUN) clinical trials initiative.
There are limited effective treatment options for many rare cancers and diseases, and the combined health burden is significant.
Through RCRDUN, the Government is increasing trial activity in Australia, supporting high quality research and encouraging novel and innovative treatments.
The two projects announced today are a small part of the 2021 RCRDUN grant program. A further 6 streams are being assessed and recipients will be announced in due course.
The $20 billion MRFF is a long-term investment supporting Australia’s best and brightest researchers. Further information about the MRFF is available at www.health.gov.au/mrff
MRFF 2021 Clinical Trials Activity – Rare Cancers, Rare Diseases and Unmet Need (RCRDUN) Grant Opportunity – Stream 2

Labor calls on the Morrison Government to make Rapid Antigen Tests free for Australians via Medicare.
We have been saying for some time that nobody should be denied a test because they can’t afford one.
We have considered the options and it is clear that this is the simplest, most efficient, fairest and most responsible way to fix the mess that Scott Morrison has made of testing at this critical juncture of the pandemic.
As always, we are prepared to work with the Government to determine the best way to provide free tests through the Medicare system.
It’s clear from Scott Morrison’s ridiculous proposal today that he has absolutely no appreciation of the skyrocketing cost of these tests or the consequences of his failure to order enough of them, quickly enough.
We can’t have people at their most vulnerable and contagious being ripped off, or going undiagnosed, or travelling around cities, suburbs and towns searching in vain for tests they can’t find or afford.
Price is one consideration, we also need the Prime Minister to fix the supply issues he is responsible for as well.
In recent days we have been carefully considering the most economically responsible course of action and it’s clear that the cost of tests are dwarfed by the costs of the Prime Minister’s failures to do his job, his undermining of Medicare, and the economic and health consequences of people not being able to test for the virus.
This can’t wait for a change of government.
Scott Morrison needs to act now. His inability to take responsibility has cost Australians too much already.

Many of us have New Year’s resolutions but the most important one all Australians can make in 2022 is to get any health checks they put aside during the pandemic.
With the heavy focus on COVID-19 for the past two years, many of us haven’t prioritised other areas of our health.
Prevention is a key priority for the Morrison Government. Our 10-year National Preventive Health Strategy focuses on valuing health before illness, highlighting the immense value of maintaining good health throughout a person’s life.
Now is the time to do just that. Australia has a world-class health system and, like COVID, we can prevent many diseases and conditions from developing, or reduce their impact.
One of the best ways to prevent future illness is to keep up to date with regular health checks and early detection programs such as cancer screenings, regular immunisations, and tests for blood borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections.
Regular cancer screening saves lives and early detection leads to better outcomes for cancer treatments. Some types of cancer can be detected before symptoms appear, and screening can also find changes in cells before they become cancer.
There are three world-leading population-based cancer screening programs in Australia:

• Cervical screening every five years for women aged 25 to 74, subsidised by Medicare
• Breast screening – or mammograms – provided free every two years for women aged 40 to 74 years
• Bowel screening tests – a free, easy, at-home test posted to men and women aged 50 to 74 every two years.

The timing of your next screening will depend on your age, gender and when your last screening was. If you need screening in 2022, you may need to book an appointment.
To book in for a cervical screening test or check when you’re due, contact your GP or healthcare provider.
To book a free mammogram, call BreastScreen Australia on 13 20 50 and you will automatically be directed to your nearest service.
For bowel screening, a kit will be mailed to you every two years once you become eligible. If you need a replacement kit, order one for free online.
Sexual health is also important to your overall health and decreases in testing and treatment for blood borne viruses and sexually transmitted infections (BBV and STI) mean there could be a lot of people who aren’t aware they have an infection.
If you think you may be at risk, talk to your GP about testing. Medicare items are available for telehealth consultations relating to BBV and STI.
For smokers, the best way to help your health in 2022 is to quit. We know it isn’t always easy, but help is available and there are huge benefits when you kick the habit.
For help to quit smoking, talk to your GP, call Quitline, or visit www.quit.org.au. Research shows that getting the support of a health professional greatly improves a smoker’s chance of successfully quitting.
To help, our Government has extended specific Medicare items for GP nicotine and smoking cessation services – including via telehealth – to 31 December 2023.
For those looking for assistance in reducing their reliance on alcohol and drugs, there is also support available.
Australians can talk to your GP or call the free and confidential National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline on 1800 250 015. If you prefer to seek online treatment, you can visit Counselling Online, a free and confidential service at: https://www.counsellingonline.org.au/.
The pandemic has not only taken a physical toll on some Australians. Many people have also experienced mental health issues.
Since March last year, our Government has provided more than $1 billion in funding to expand mental health services, including a substantial investment in telehealth.
Help is at hand if you are struggling with your mental health, and there are many ways you can get it. Talk to your GP or visit the Government’s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
Australians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service any time via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au.
Anyone experiencing distress can also seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14) and Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).
Our health system is in a strong position to support Australians with health challenges, throughout the pandemic and beyond.
COVID-19 has taught us the importance of our health and speaking to our health experts when we notice something out of the ordinary. In 2022, I urge you to attend medical appointments and health checks and follow through on any referrals for blood tests or scans. It is about living well for long – it could just save your life.

An Albanese Labor Government will strengthen Australia’s economic sovereignty and national security by building an independent Strategic Fleet to secure our ongoing access to fuel supplies and other essential imports.
More than most nations, Australia is dependent on seaborne trade. Shipping accounts for 99 per cent of our Australia’s imports and exports of goods, including fuel.
Despite this, for eight long years the Morrison-Joyce Government has put our national security and economic sovereignty at risk by standing idle as large multinationals dumped Australian flagged and crewed vessels so they could hire cheaper overseas crews.
Right now, less than one per cent of Australian seaborne trade is carried by Australian ships, forcing our nation to reply on foreign governments and companies for our essential imports.
As a first step, an incoming Albanese Labor Government will appoint a Taskforce to guide it on the establishment of the Fleet as quickly as possible. While these ships will likely be privately owned and operate on a commercial basis, we will ensure they are available for use by the Defence Forces in times of national crisis, whether that be natural disaster or conflict.
This Taskforce will include representatives from the shipping industry, major charterers, unions, Australian business and the Department of Defence.
An Albanese Labor Government will also act immediately to close loopholes in the existing regulatory framework to help rebuild Australian shipping. The Taskforce will also advise on how best to enforce existing coastal shipping laws and what legislative or regulatory reforms are necessary to reinvigorate Australian shipping.
In times of conflict and crisis, our economic sovereignty and national security are dependent on Australian seafarers working on Australian ships.
That’s why an Albanese Labor Government will protect Australia and rebuild our strategic fleet.

Senior Australians now have a strong, formal voice to government on ageing and aged care matters, with the 14 members of the new Council of Elders – a specific recommendation coming out of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety – announced today.
The Council of Elders will be led by inaugural Chair Ian Yates AM, who will also sit on the new National Aged Care Advisory Council.
Mr Yates will ensure the voice of senior Australians is heard and that advice is provided to the Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, and the Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck, and the Department of Health.
The Council of Elders will engage widely on many aspects of aged care from the perspective of the quality and safety of care and the rights and dignity of older people.
Members include 2021 Senior Australian of the Year Dr Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr Baumann AM, dementia advocate Gwenda Darling, writer and carer Danijela Hlis, Age Discrimination Commissioner Kay Patterson AO, and indigenous campaigner Professor Tom Calma AO.
Minister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt said Council members have strong expertise, diverse backgrounds and lived experience that would help ensure aged care meets the needs and expectations of senior Australians, their families and carers, and the Australian community.
“Council members, all appointed for two-year terms, will provide advice to government, coordinate feedback from senior Australians and their families and communities, and help to build community awareness of ageing and aged care matters,” Minister Hunt said.
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, Richard Colbeck said over 130 high calibre senior Australians had nominated to be part of the council.
“We carefully reviewed every nomination, and each person would have made a positive difference as a council member,” Minister Colbeck said.
“I thank every person for their nomination and have invited them to contribute their diverse experience and expertise in other ways.”
Mr Yates, CEO of Council of the Ageing, said it was an honour and privilege to serve alongside such experienced members.
“This is an exciting initiative that we have not had before,” Mr Yates said.  “Having a voice of senior Australians direct to Government will be key to ensure the reforms from the royal commission continue to have the voice of those that experience the system at their centre.”
The first Council of Elders has an appropriately diverse range of experience, background, location and opinions and I look forward to working with the members of the Council to provide this important voice to Ministers and the National Aged Care Advisory Council.”
Minister Colbeck said the new National Aged Care Advisory Council and the Council of Elders were part of the government’s $18.3 billion reform package being delivered over the next five years.
“These reforms will help all Australians feel confident about accessing high quality aged care when they need it – offering greater choice and control, and helping people maintain independence as they age,” Minister Colbeck said.
“So far, thousands of people have engaged with us on the design of reforms such as quality standards and support at home, and over 13,000 people have participated in 8 webinars about the reforms.”
Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN) Chief Executive Officer Craig Gear welcomed the appointment of the council.
“We are excited by the announcement of the inaugural members of Australia’s first Council of Elders,” Mr Gear said.  “Older people have been telling us for a long time that there should be ‘nothing about us without us’ and the Council of Elders is a good step along this journey which will help inform aged care reform from their perspective.
“Importantly, we are pleased with the inclusion of a number of older people with lived experience of aged care to guide the transformation of aged care for themselves and the people they care for”
Visit the Ageing and Aged Care Engagement Hub to read about the reforms and to participate in engagement activities, here.
For more information on the Council of Elders and its members see here.
Council of Elders members:

Australians who have completed their primary course of COVID-19 vaccination no less than four months ago, will now be able to receive a booster dose from 4 January 2022, providing further protection and peace of mind.
In making these changes to further bring forward eligibility, the Australian Government has acted on the expert medical advice of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
The move to reduce the interval between a person’s primary course of vaccination and their booster dose from five months to four months will see approximately 7.5 million Australians eligible for their booster dose as of 4 January.
The Government will also further bring forward, as of 31 January, the interval for eligibility to three months, which will mean that more than 16 million people will be eligible for their booster at this time. This decision is based on the expert medical advice from ATAGI and operational planning from the National COVID-19 Vaccines Taskforce.
Australia was one of the first countries in the world to commence a whole of population COVID-19 booster program, and so far approximately two million Australians have received a booster dose over recent weeks.
ATAGI made its recommendation to reduce the interval after closely monitoring the epidemiology and characteristics of COVID-19 caused by the Omicron variant. It also considered the emerging data on the need, potential benefits, and optimal timing of a vaccine booster dose to prevent COVID-19 due to this variant.
Advice to the Government from ATAGI indicates that further bringing forward booster doses is likely to increase protection against infection with the Omicron variant based on international and Australian data observed over recent weeks.
Whilst early data suggests the risk of hospitalisation, ICU admission and death due to the Omicron variant is far less than Delta or other variants, bringing forward boosters doses and increased public health and social measures such as mask wearing indoors, social distancing where appropriate and ongoing hand hygiene will have an important effect on slowing the spread and impact of Omicron.
As was the case with rolling out doses for people’s primary course of vaccination, these changes continue to allow for a staged approach to the booster rollout going forward, with a clear focus on ensuring our most vulnerable cohorts continue to be prioritised.
Australia has more than enough supply of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to roll out booster doses to the newly eligible cohort from 4 January – through more than 10,000 vaccination sites including GPs, community pharmacies, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, and state and territory clinics. There are currently over 20 million doses in Australia of which over five million have already been placed with States and Primary Care teams on the basis of their forward orders.
Where jurisdictions believe they have sufficient capacity to bring forward the commencement of delivery of booster doses sooner, without displacing people with higher priority eligibility in accordance with the ATAGI recommendations, they will have the flexibility to do so.
ATAGI has maintained its advice that booster doses only be given to people aged 18 years and over.
Immunocompromised people who have received three primary doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be able to receive a booster dose in line with the timing for the general population.
ATAGI has also highlighted the importance of boosters for pregnant women.
People who have completed their primary course of vaccination against COVID-19 four or more months prior to 4 January are encouraged to contact their vaccine provider early in the new year to make a booking.
Australia is already one of the most vaccinated, and recently vaccinated, countries in the world.
Ninety-one per cent of Australians aged 16 and over have completed their primary course of vaccination. And more than 72 per cent of adolescents aged 12 to 15 have done so.
Arrangements are in place to start rolling out vaccines to children aged five to 11 years from 10 January 2022 with specialised children’s doses arriving in Australia over recent days and now undergoing batch testing by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
All Australians who are currently eligible for their primary course of vaccination, or for their booster dose, and who have not yet acted are urged to make a booking as soon as possible to get vaccinated.
The Australian Government has secured over 151 million booster doses for delivery over the coming year and is well placed to continue to achieve world leading vaccination rates against COVID-19.