Premier’s desperate plea as dip in demand means Pfizer may be dumped

The Premier is urging Queenslanders to get vaccinated now, hinting a border opening date is just around the corner. Her warning comes as thousands of Brisbane Pfizer doses are at risk of going to waste as demand wanes.

Thousands of precious Pfizer vaccine doses are at risk of going to waste in parts of Brisbane, with waning demand sparking concern among doctors Queenslanders won’t realise the threat of Covid-19 until it’s too late.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, in a strong signal the state’s border with NSW could open within weeks, has also put the impetus on Queenslanders to get the Covid-19 jab saying “we cannot protect you if you won’t protect yourself”.

But Queenslanders thirst to get the jab appears to be waning, with data showing the rate of first doses being administered per 100 people had fallen back to early September levels.

Queenslanders, if you haven’t had your first dose yet, this message is for you 👇 pic.twitter.com/h93Gio33Jr

— Annastacia Palaszczuk (@AnnastaciaMP) October 13, 2021

An email from the Brisbane North Primary Health Network (PHN) sent out to GPs this week also revealed about 1300 vials of the Pfizer vaccine, containing an estimated 7800 doses, were headed for the bin unless doctors could get them into arms.

The redistribution of vaccines among GPs is not uncommon in order to reduce waste, but a northside GP said this had only started happening in their area in the last fortnight.

Bookings for a jab at the clinic had also halved from 400 to 500 a week to about 200 to 250.

This despite just 71 per cent of adult Queenslanders having a first jab.

In outbreak jurisdictions ACT and NSW first jab rates are above 95 per cent and 91 per cent respectively.

Demand in Townsville, where vaccination rates were at about 68 per cent, had also petered out according to general practitioner Dr Michael Clements.

“There will come a point where people just don’t want to come in anymore, and that may stop at 70 or 75 per cent,” he said.

He said some in the region still believed Covid-19 would feel like the flu and feared demand for the jab may not pick up again until the virus was circulating in the community.

“It will be too late when they do that, and it saddens me,” Dr Clements said.

The state government, with ample supply, has begun using novel methods to make access easy, including pop-up clinics, and vaccine clinics at Bunnings stores.

There are many mass vaccination hubs, including this one at Mount Warren Park. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

On Friday the first child-focused vaccine clinic will open in Mareeba, with more to follow.

In a shift of tone, Ms Palaszczuk, who throughout the pandemic has promoted her ability to “keep Queenslanders safe”, said people must now take personal responsibility for their safety.

“We’ve done all we can to keep you safe but this next step is up to you,” she said.

“I need you to get vaccinated and I need you to do it now.”

The Premier, who has under fire from the Opposition for failing to provide certainty around border opening plans, signalled changes to the border with NSW and Victoria could be made within weeks.

“It takes five weeks from the first dose to be completely vaccinated,” she said.

“Five weeks from today is the 17th of November – that’s getting very close to Christmas.”

Queensland Health is urging all Queenslanders to get vaccinated ASAP. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

QUT behavioural change expert and World Health Organisation adviser Professor Ross Gordon said most of the messaging to spur vaccination had been generic and aimed at an individual level.

But the key was persuading communities as a collective to get the jab with messaging tailored to them, on top of making the jab as easy to get as possible.

Prof Gordon said it was “politically challenging” for the state government to admit once vaccination rates hit a certain level, Queensland would open up, the virus would get in and it would circulate.

The state recorded no new cases of the virus yesterday.