Pharmacy Daily | No flu jabs refunds for South Australia

SOUTH Australians who paid to have an influenza vaccination prior to the rollout of the State's free jab campaign this month will not be able to get a refund.

Responding to calls for a reimbursement program for those who paid to get vaccinated, Minister for Health and Wellbeing, Chris Picton, there was no capacity to implement such a system.

"We have been very clear about this: this is a scheme that has been put in place for the first time here in South Australia, and around the country other states are putting it in place for the first time," he said.

"It is running during Jun to allow people who haven't had the flu vaccine to come forward, get access to a free flu vaccine and be protected this winter.

"It is not intended, nor is there the ability, to go back and provide payments to people who have already received the flu vaccine previously.

"They have received the vaccine through a variety of different means: there are workplace vaccination programs, there are general practice vaccination programs, there are pharmacy general practice programs.

"There is no ability that we have as a state government to go back to those records and find individual people.

"What we are doing is we are now providing a mechanism where we can provide those free flu vaccines through GPs and pharmacies.

"They will provide them for free and they will keep a record of those.

"They will then provide an invoice, essentially, to SA Health in arrears, and we will provide that payment in arrears.

"This is essentially the same operation that is now rolling out in other states and territories around the country as well."

Picton said the program was proving successful in encouraging South Australians to get the flu shot, with more than 145,000 administered through the scheme to 16 Jun.

"It is fantastic to see that level of vaccination increase, but we want to see it increase even further, so I appreciate the opportunity to tell the house---and I hope all members can spread this message to their community---that there are appointments available through pharmacies and GPs and to come forward and to get the protection," he said.