Qld Govt halves number of AstraZeneca vaccines ordered

The Queensland government is ordering thousands fewer COVID-19 vaccine doses than it was a month ago, blaming a redirection to GPs and a cold-chain breach that compromised almost 7000 doses.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has blamed a cold-chain breach that compromised more than 6000 vaccine doses and a lack of need for AstraZeneca jabs for the steep drop off in the number of doses ordered by the Queensland Government.

Despite blaming supply issues for weeks over a decision not to set up mass vaccination hubs, new data reveals Queensland ordered about 24,500 vaccine doses last week and 21,060 the week before - nearly half the 41,160 ordered the week ending April 25.

Ms D’Ath, noting the data was accurate, said the drop off was for two reasons.

First, the Queensland Government no longer needed its usual stock of AstraZeneca as the frontline workers that need to be vaccinated in Phases 1a and 1b were mainly under the age of 50 and required the Pfizer jab.

A health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine.

Under an agreement with the Commonwealth, the Queensland government is instead redirecting its surplus AstraZeneca jabs to GPs.

“There is no reduction of AstraZeneca in Queensland. We are just diverting our supply to GPs,” Ms D’Ath said.

Ms D’ath said the redirection of AstraZeneca supply saw state figures drop from 19,200 to 900.

Queensland will continue to see a total reduction in vaccines going forward as AstraZeneca continues to be diverted while Pfizer vaccines increases.

Second, in recent weeks there was a significant cold chain breach resulting in the wastage of 6700 doses of Pfizer vaccine that were destined for Townsville and Cairns.

As a result the doses were never delivered.

Ms D’Ath also defended Queensland’s overall vaccine rollout, and said the government was on track to open Pfizer hubs across the state.

Orders of Pfizer doses will also increase from 14,040 in the week ending April 12 to 30,166 doses ordered in the week ending May 10.

Meanwhile, other states have ramped up their orders from the Federal Government with NSW opening its first vaccination hub this week and requesting 60,840 jabs - double what it did the week before.

Health Minister Yvette D'Ath during a press conference, Parliament House, Brisbane. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

Western Australia, which has a population half of Queensland’s, ordered 26,780 last week and 23,270 the week before, according to the Commonwealth data.

In Week 7 and 8 of the vaccine rollout in early April, when this data was first made available, Queensland was ordering about 35,000 vaccines a week.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath yesterday doubled down on the decision to only consider mass vaccination hubs when a large shipment of the Pfizer jab arrives in the last quarter of 2021, saying the “vaccine numbers aren’t there”.

Nurse Christie Pham pictured gives Kaushik Depji the Covid-19 vaccine at the MyHealth Medical Centre. (Image/Josh Woning)

But Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, when asked about Queensland’s decision not to set up hubs due to stock concerns, said there was “plenty of supply” for all states as production of locally-made AstraZeneca doses ramps up and Pfizer shipments remain consistent.

“These are choices for states,” he said.

“Some states have scaled back their ordering and if they wish to renew their ordering, we would be very, very happy to do that.”

According to Queensland Health, the revamped rollout caused by health advice around the AstraZeneca vaccine meant “significant portions” of the health workforce in Phases 1a and 1b weren’t able to receive the jab.

“As a result, surplus AstraZeneca doses are being distributed to Queensland GPs,” a spokeswoman said.

The Commonwealth data does not reveal how many of the vaccines ordered were AstraZeneca.

NSW state-run clinics have hit a new daily jab record, administering 7552 doses in the 24 hours to Thursday, with a third of that at its mass vaccination hub at Sydney Olympic Park.

In Queensland, state-run clinics put 2456 jabs into arms in the same time frame.

Ms D’Ath said Queensland was a decentralised state and the government would not “set up mass vaccination centres predominantly in major capital areas and forget about the rest of the state”.

She said the government’s outreach clinics, in partnership with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, had gone out to regional areas including Ayr, Ingham and the Central West to vaccinate whole communities.

Pfizer hubs will also be set up across the state by the end of the month according to Queensland Health.