A number of Australia’s leading health organisations have banded together in support of the Therapeutic Goods Administration to condemn reports of threats aimed at staff.
The 26 organisations include the Public Health Association of Australia, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, and a range of universities and health institutes.
“We express full support for the vital work the TGA does to assess and regulate new medicines and vaccines,” a statement from the organisations said.
“The TGA has a strong reputation for being expert, independent and rigorous in its assessments of new products, and is similarly rigorous in its assessment of the safety of vaccines, so as to improve and protect the health of all Australians.”
The statement said recent reports of threats, intimidation and harassment aimed at TGA leadership and staff caused “serious concern” and were “unacceptable”.
The TGA has played a critical role during the coronavirus pandemic of approving vaccinations and publishing the latest COVID-19 regulatory and safety information on treatments, face masks and other medical devices.
It announced last week that legal letters were sent to federal member of parliament Craig Kelly ordering him to stop distributing incomplete extracts of COVID-19 vaccine adverse event reports.
The medical organisations called for confidence in the assessments and recommendations of the TGA.
“Another essential role of our medicines regulator is to challenge, and where necessary, prosecute those who seek to mislead the Australian public about important health information so as to pursue their own interests,” the groups said.
“We believe Australians’ trust in the TGA is well placed.”
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