Queensland Premier demands urgent meeting over overdose and blames Morrison Government for vaccine fail

The Queensland Premier has ripped into the Morrison government, saying the blame for the vaccine overdose case was ‘entirely’ on them.

The Queensland Premier has levelled the blame for the vaccine overdose of two aged care residents “entirely” on the Morrison government as she demanded an urgent national cabinet meeting.

Western Australia’s Premier has also criticised the federal government for the “big mistake”, saying they must ensure public confidence is maintained in the vaccination program.

A doctor has been stood down amid an investigation after an 88-year-old man and a 94-year-old woman were given more than the recommended dosage of the coronavirus jab in Queensland on Tuesday morning.

“None of this is good enough and the federal government must explain itself,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament on Wednesday.

She insisted the vaccine program was “entirely the responsibility” of the Morrison government, which had leaned on private contractors to deliver the vital jab.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has demanded an urgent meeting of national cabinet. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

“I want to know what training is provided to the people the federal government is employing to administer the vaccines in our aged care facilities.

“I want to know about the communications strategies for the next phases of the rollout of the vaccine.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the vaccine failure on just the second day of the rollout was disturbing because “people need and must have full confidence in this vaccine”.

“The federal government needs to release when they are vaccinating people and the numbers they are vaccinating,” she said.

Health Minister Greg Hunt revealed the blunder in a press conference on Wednesday morning.

“Basically a doctor gave an incorrect dose to two patients yesterday,” he said.

“It’s important we’re upfront.”

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the patients were monitored after the overdose. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

Mr Hunt said the patients were being monitored and no adverse reactions had been reported so far.

“This is an individual practitioner who has clearly made an error and around the country – and you will remember from multiple press conferences, I’ve indicated that whether it’s the flu, whether it’s other things, during the course of any one year, there would be challenges, issues and errors,” he said.

“Ordinarily, they wouldn’t necessarily be focused on. They’d be dealt with through the ordinary measures.

“Because of the national focus on this, it’s natural and understandable that those things which would ordinarily occur are given greater prominence.

“I absolutely understand that and, indeed, I’ve made the decision that I thought we should address this upfront to show that the safety guards that were put in place did actually work.”

Mr Hunt said while there was “an initial error”, three safeguards were immediately kicked into place.

WA Premier Mark McGowan says the federal government must ensure public confidence in the vaccination program. Picture: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP

WA Premier Mark McGowan described it as a “big mistake”.

“It’s in a commonwealth-controlled facility where the commonwealth government is responsible for the rollout of the vaccine,” he told reporters.

“I just urge the commonwealth government to get on top of this and make sure they keep public confidence in the vaccination program.”

Mr McGowan said the vaccine program was a “carefully calibrated scheme” in WA, with two nurses present and patients monitored after being administered the jab.

“We’ve put in place measures to ensure patients receiving the vaccine are properly protected,” he said.

The Premier said WA had administered 800 jabs so far, with another 1000 expected on Wednesday.

“It was always going to have a reasonably slow start, but I think it will pick up very quickly and we’ll see major take-up of vaccinations around WA over time,” he said.

Originally published as Queensland Premier demands urgent meeting over overdose and blames Morrison Government for vaccine fail