Departmental media

As the weather cools down in most parts of Australia, protect yourself against serious illnesses by booking your vaccinations this winter.

Professor Michael Kidd AO, MBBS, MD, FAHMS, FRACGP has been appointed as Australia’s new Chief Medical Officer from 1 June 2025.

Interim First Nations Aged Care Commissioner Andrea Kelly has released a report to Government, recommending a series of critical reforms to improve aged care for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Read Minister Butler's speech at the Stronger Medicare Awards.

Read the transcript from Minister Butler's press conference on the COVID-19 Response Inquiry findings.

Read the transcript of Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly’s interview with Michael Rowland on ABC News Breakfast about getting vaccinated against influenza (flu).

A statement by the Head of the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control Professor Paul Kelly.

A statement from Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, on supplies of the Shingrix vaccine.

Read the transcript from Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly's interview on ABC News Breakfast about COVID-19.

Read the transcript of Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly’s interview with Lisa Millar on ABC News Breakfast about COVID-19.

A statement from Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, on the end of the COVID-19 emergency response.

A pathology provider in New South Wales was ordered to pay the Commonwealth a pecuniary penalty of $1.65 million, along with legal costs of $200,000, for entering into four leasing arrangements that contravened the Health Insurance Act 1973 (the Act).

The Office of the National Rural Health Commissioner has partnered with the Medical Journal of Australia to produce a special supplement that shines a light on the important role education plays in developing and growing Australia’s regional, rural, and remote health workforce.

A statement from Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly, on the end of Japanese encephalitis virus emergency response.

A statement from Australia's acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd, responding to reports in the media about 60-day medicine dispensing.

See the below statement, released following the conclusion of National Cabinet on Friday 28 April 2023.

A Victorian medical receptionist has been sentenced today to 2 years imprisonment, with a minimum term of 12 months by the Melbourne County Court after pleading guilty to charging more than $181,000 in fraudulent Medicare payments.

A pharmacist has been convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment today, after pleading guilty to fraudulently claiming more than $1.9 million in payments under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

A Pharmacist and Practice Manager from across Australia were sentenced last week after fraudulently claiming more than $420,000 in payments under the Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS) and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

A medical receptionist from south-eastern Queensland has been convicted after fraudulently claiming more than $253,000 in Medicare payments.

Read the transcript of Therapeutic Goods Administration Adjunct Professor John Skerritt's interview with Hamish Macdonald on ABC Radio National on 9 January 2023.

Read the transcript of Chief Medical Officer, Professor Paul Kelly’s interview on ABC News Breakfast on COVID-19.

A statement from Professor Paul Kelly, Australian Government Chief Medical Officer, outlining the importance of vaccination against measles and polio.

Read the transcript of Therapeutic Goods Administration Adjunct Professor John Skerritt's interview with Ros Childs on ABC News on 20 December 2022.

A statement from Australia's acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd AM, on COVID-19 antiviral treatments.