Queensland’s COVID-19 vaccinations to run out within days
Queensland’s Deputy Premier has revealed the number of days worth of vaccines available, but the Commonwealth has insisted more will arrive as scheduled.
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Just 12 days’ worth of COVID-19 vaccinations are available across Queensland as fresh concerns are raised about the supply of the critical jab.
The state has administered 79,534 doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine since late February, however, the rollout has been plagued by uncertainty around supply and claims of unnecessary stockpiling.
On Thursday Deputy Premier Steven Miles said Queensland had less than two weeks‘ worth of vaccine available.
“We have right now on hand just three days’ supply of the Pfizer vaccine,” he said.
“We have just 12 days of the AstraZeneca vaccine and at current rates that could just be eight to nine days.
“We need ample supply of that to ensure our hospitals have it.”
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said states and territories had received a 12-week vaccination plan and were not required to stockpile doses.
“They know that contingencies are being held. It’s been expressed in writing, it’s been expressed verbally and we would encourage them to be making use of all of the doses,” he said.
“But, we‘re not frustrated or grumpy with any of the states or territories. We think they‘re doing their job.”
However, a war of words between states and the Commonwealth reached boiling point on Wednesday as they traded insults over the pace of the jab rollout.
Mr Miles, the state’s chief critic of the Federal Government, hit out at Nationals’ Deputy Leader David Littleproud for claiming on Wednesday the states were “sitting on their hands” in the vaccine rollout.
“We can all agree that David Littleproud is 2021’s April fool,” Mr Miles said.
“He should not have risked confidence in the vaccine for the Morrison Government’s political benefits.”
Queensland‘s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has mandated that only vaccinated frontline hospital, ambulance and quarantine workers can treat COVID-19 patients.
She hoped by midday on Thursday all of the high-risk frontline workers would be vaccinated.
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