Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino slams federal government’s slow vaccine rollout

The acting premier of Victoria has unleashed at the federal government over its slow vaccine rollout, claiming Australia is falling behind in the global race.

Victoria’s Acting Premier has slammed the federal government’s Covid-19 vaccine rollout, claiming the nation is falling behind in the global race.

James Merlino said there would “no doubt” be a hit to public confidence following the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation’s (ATAGI) change to their advice related to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Now, the AstraZeneca jab is recommended only to people aged 60 and over, with those aged 50 to 59 now recommended to get the Pfizer vaccine.

Those who have had their first dose of AstraZeneca and suffered no adverse effects are still recommended to get their second dose.

Mr Merlino claimed the blow to public confidence came at the same time Victoria would see a reduction in the number of vaccine doses supplied to the state.

“This is a race and as a nation we’re falling behind,” he said.

“That is the reality.

People queue at the Covid-19 vaccination centre at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre at Southbank on Friday. Picture: Andrew Henshaw / NCA NewsWire

“We don’t have, from the commonwealth, sufficient numbers of vaccines for second doses to match the demand for first doses, that is a fact.

“That may well change later in the year but right now we are falling behind as a nation in this race.

“There is no national campaign to increase public uptake.

“We are seeing a 20,000 reduction in vaccines from 105,000 to around 85,000 at the same time we have got this advice which will hit public confidence and increase demand for that cohort of people, 50-59, to get a Pfizer jab.”

Acting Premier James Merlino said Victoria did not have enough supplies of Pfizer vaccine for second doses. Picture: Paul Jeffers / NCA NewsWire

While Mr Merlino acknowledged global supply constraints in the vaccine rollout, the federal government had well over a year to address the issues and provide greater levels of confidence to GPs around the nation.

“This just gets harder and harder,” he said.

“The commonwealth do not have the supplies of Pfizer to meet the demand, supplies of second doses to match the demand for first doses.”

Victoria has so far administered more than 868,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines.

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Originally published as Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino slams federal government’s slow vaccine rollout