Annastacia Palaszczuk loses Covid vaccination race

Annastacia Palaszczuk has become the last healthy state premier to receive the Covid jab, blaming a dog bite for the delay and saying a possible Olympics trip was the reason she was give Pfizer.

Annastacia Palaszczuk has become the last healthy state premier to receive the Covid-19 jab – trailing three and a half months behind South Australia’s leader ­Steven Marshall.

Two weeks after receiving her flu vaccine, Ms Palaszczuk on Monday received her first dose of Pfizer ahead of a potential trip to Tokyo next month to spruik Brisbane’s 2032 Olympic bid.

Ms Palaszczuk was eligible for Pfizer in the 1B vaccine round, but as she is over 50 she was also eligible for the AstraZeneca jab, which has been linked to a rare blood clotting syndrome. Her jab came almost three months behind NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian received her AstraZeneca vaccine and 11 weeks after NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner, who emphasised the importance of giving the public confidence in the rollout.

Victorian Premier Dan Andrews is still on leave following a serious accident, however, Acting Premier James Merlino received his Pfizer vaccine the day he was eligible on May 28.

Ms Palaszczuk, who became eligible for AstraZeneca on May 3, attributed her delay to having needed a tetanus booster after being bitten by her dog Winton.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk get the Covid vaccination. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

“I had an accidental dog bite, so I had to go and have my tetanus and they ask you if you have your tetanus you’ll need two weeks from when you have your tetanus to have your Covid, then I had my flu vaccine,” she said.

“I have done everything I can be physically required to do.”

Ms Palaszczuk said there might be a requirement for Queensland to present to the Olympics Committee in Tokyo late next month about its 2032 bid, and that she would have been unvaccinated had she received ­AstraZeneca. While AstraZeneca doses can be given four to 12 weeks apart, it is recommended that the jabs be administered 12 weeks apart.

There have been concerns around the vaccine after a small number of recipients experienced blood clots. But health officials from around the country have insisted the clots are extremely rare.

Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young, who also became eligible for AstraZeneca on May 3, received her first dose Monday. She also received her flu vaccine on May 24 with the Premier.

Queensland Health delivered 17,032 vaccines in Queensland over the weekend, exceeding the 15,000 they were expecting.