Queensland’s new chief health officer, Dr Marianne Gale, aims to improve vaccination rates and health equity
Dr Marianne Gale hopes to achieve many things as Queensland’s next chief medical officer, but one takes priority as she embarks on her first year in the job.
“Vaccination is clearly a priority for me,” he says from his new office at the Queensland government building on Charlotte Street in Brisbane’s CBD.
“People around the world and across Australia have exhibited some degree of vaccine fatigue, and I understand that, but it’s also important that we don’t forget and lose appreciation for how important vaccination is.”
The 44-year-old doctor has his work cut out for him.
Last year Queensland experienced its worst flu season in a decade, with more than 95,000 cases recorded. Experts said the spike was partly due to low vaccination rates and Queensland’s vaccine uptake. 28 percent worst in the country.
There were other contributing factors, including the emergence of Mutant flu strainConfusing political messages were also blamed.
As flu cases increased rapidly across the state in AugustCausing an increase in ambulance surge rates and causing pauses in elective surgeries, Prime Minister David Crisafulli and Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie refused to answer questions Whether or not they have been vaccinated, they have eschewed suggestions encouraging people to get vaccinated.
Gale says the government’s renewal of the free flu vaccine program this year and the introduction of needle-free nasal spray for children sends a strong signal of support for the vaccine, and he says he would like to see “numbers drop immediately” this season.
He adds that he is willing to listen to communities and families concerned about vaccine safety and effectiveness, and underscores the importance of making informed health decisions.
“I think the majority of people want to do what’s right for themselves and they want to make the right choice for their children… [and] for the people they love.
“It’s important that when people are looking for information about vaccines, they do so from trusted sources, people who really know the issues they will be discussing.”
Gale’s experience makes him eminently qualified to deliver public messages about vaccination programs and disease outbreaks; these are hallmarks of his role as chief medical officer.
Born in Singapore, he migrated to Townsville in the early 80s and returned after medical school to work as a junior doctor at the city’s large public hospital in the far north.
“As a young doctor you are exposed to a lot more things [in a regional hospital]and there is a greater opportunity to learn,” he says.
The next chapter of his career was devoted to working with some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities, spending five years as a field doctor for Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders.
In his first year, he helped refugees in Myanmar, bordering Thailand, before traveling to West Africa, South America and the Asia-Pacific. These roles placed him at the forefront of infectious diseases, especially tuberculosis and HIV.
Gale says he’s still passionate about the work – “I think it’s very important to think about how you can support better health outcomes for people whose lives may not be as fortunate as yours” – but says he’s ready to return to Australia after five years.
“Working in places where you see young children dying from preventable causes has a really powerful impact on you,” she says.
“The resilience of people to deal with the pain of these situations and move on with life. This gave me a newfound respect for what people can endure and what they can do.”
After MSF, Gale joined the NSW Department of Health, during which time he served as Dr. He came to public attention after being promoted to deputy chief medical officer alongside Kerry Chant.
“It was extremely rewarding… [and an] “I am honored to support the people of New South Wales in this role,” he recalls.
“When the opportunity arose to potentially return to Queensland, where I grew up and started my career as a doctor… it seemed like a wonderful privilege and a great opportunity to do something meaningful with the skills and experiences I had.”
Health equity and prevention are also within Gale’s remit as Queensland’s new top doctor.
“[I want] “We’re trying to go and visit the state, meet with communities and talk to clinicians on the front lines to understand what their issues are, what their priorities are and how we can work together,” he says.
“I look forward to working with First Nations organizations and communities on Closing the Gap… [and working] We’ll be checking in with Queenslanders again about how we’re tackling rising rates of chronic disease, cancer and dementia, particularly those from preventable factors.
“It is critical that we think about prevention because it will be necessary to make our hospitals sustainable. We also need to ease the pressure on our acute systems. [and our] frontline clinicians.
Queensland’s last chief medical officer, Doctor John GerrardHe resigned from his post at the end of his three-year term in December 2024. Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital senior infectious diseases specialist Dr. Krispin Hajkowicz was chosen as the next in line after an extensive recruitment process, but this decision was abruptly rescinded by the LNP government last year. The matter has been referred to the state’s corruption watchdog.
Gale was appointed to the role in October and started as Queensland’s new chief medical officer on December 1.
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