My husband is at risk from both flu and COVID-19 due to asbestos damage to his lungs. Victoria has reported that it has stocks of the extra strength flu vaccinations for vulnerable people.

My husband meets the criteria for this vaccination, but is unable to access it here in Tasmania until at least next month.

Why does Victoria have it available not but not Tasmania?

With our high proportion of vulnerable people shouldn't it be available now?

I ask our government to do something about this now.

Leonie Youdale, Punchbowl.

I CONGRATULATE MLC Ivan Dean for his push to have the legal age for buying tobacco products raised to age 21 (The Examiner, March 27).

The young brain is not developed sufficiently under that age to make a decision that will impact on their entire future life.

If it was young people would not start smoking.

A family member had a catastrophic incident in 2018 and their life hung by a thread for several days.

The medical experts put their survival down to the fact that they had never smoked. Worth thinking about.

If the cost of a pack per day was put into super it would be worth just over $5000 in 40 years.

Most know it's not only your wealth that suffers, but also your health.

I know of many smokers who took up the habit young and now wish they hadn't.

Graeme Barwick, Riverside.

WITH all sporting codes including administrators agreeing to major pay cuts and millions of workers expected to lose their jobs, why is there no sign of members of Parliament and senior public servants helping to contribute in sharing the hardship suffered by all Australians?

With Parliament suspended until August and severe restrictions placed on travel and the size of gatherings, what are they able to achieve as they remain at home like the rest of us?

As always it's "do as we say rather than do what we do".

A Carter, Mowbray.

IN reply to Victor Marshall letter (The Examiner, April 2).

Berrima Prison was first opened in 1839 and is a minimum security with a maximum of 75 inmates.

The town grew up around it.

Goulburn prison was built in 1884 and again the town grew up around it.

Maximum security 222 inmates and a population of 23,000 in Goulburn.

Silverwater prison built in 1970, maximum security 1100 inmates. Again the suburbs of Sydney built around it.

It is wrong to suggest you can plonk a prison in a small town like Westbury with a population of just over 2000 to absorb a maximum security prison of 270 inmates and not fundamentally change it for the worst.

Scott Woodroffe, Westbury.

I WRITE to let local veterans impacted by their service know that they can still reach out to Mates4Mates for support during this time. All psychology and exercise psychology appointments are now available via Skype, Facetime or phone to ensure that people can access vital support, no matter where they live.

During the COVID-19 crisis in particular, spending large periods of time at home can lead to increased feelings of isolation and in turn further impact an individual's mental health. We're here to ensure that people don't have to go through it alone.

If you are a veteran, or a family member of one, and have an injury as a result of service or are struggling with your mental health, please reach out today to inquire about booking an appointment.

Our staff understand what it means to serve and are trained in working with a wide range of issues, injuries and illnesses that you may be facing during this challenging time. Get in touch via 1300 462 837 or visit mates4mates.org to find out more.

Troy Watson, Mates4Mates.

DESPITE major disruption from COVID-19, I can assure Tasmanians that our island's energy supply is secure and reliable.

We're working hard to ensure it remains so as the COVID-19 crisis plays out.

Our two key priorities are keeping the lights on under the range of scenarios that may emerge; and protecting our people, and the Tasmanian community, by helping limit and delay the spread of Covid-19.

As an essential service provider, we've segregated key sections of our workforce to reduce risks. We've also developed back-up plans to keep delivering power for Tasmanians, in the event of reduced staff availability.

In the coming weeks and months, we may defer some non-essential maintenance and upgrades, to prioritise critical operations. There's also critical work that we must keep doing, to keep your network safe and reliable (which perhaps, right now, is more important than ever).

We realise many more Tasmanians are staying home for work or family - meaning planned outages may cause more inconvenience than usual. Please understand that any planned outages are crucial for the ongoing safety and reliability of your power supply.

We'll try and minimise these, and we appreciate your patience and support. In partnership with the Tasmanian government, Hydro Tasmania and Aurora Energy, we're determined to support Tasmanians in these uniquely challenging times.

Lance Balcombe, TasNetworks.