Emergency national cabinet to discuss blow to vaccine rollout

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt says calls for a Toowoomba quarantine facility are “in defiance” of a review into quarantine, as national cabinet convenes an emergency meeting to deal with the latest blow to the vaccine rollout.

An emergency national cabinet meeting will be held on Monday to deal with the latest blow to the vaccine rollout, while the Federal Health Minister warned the proposed Toowoomba quarantine facility could increase the risk of spreading Covid.

Meanwhile, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk refused to confirm or refute media reports she had previously raised concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine for over 50s.

Queensland shut the border to residents of Waverley in NSW at 1am Saturday, in response to new cases.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk would not confirm or deny reports she had previously raised concerns about AstraZeneca for over 50s. Picture: Tara Croser.

It comes after Australia’s immunisation regulator ATAGI changed its advice on Thursday to recommend only those 60 and above receive AstraZeneca, increased from 50.

Pfizer will now be the recommended vaccine for people aged 50 to 59, which includes 620,000 Queenslanders.

Authorities are urging people who have already had their first dose of AstraZeneca to proceed with their second, saying the risk of blood clots is exceedingly small.

Ms Palaszczuk refused to answer questions on whether she had previously raised concerns about AstraZeneca at national cabinet in April.

“I am not disclosing what conversations happen at national cabinet,” she said.

The Premier came under scrutiny when she received the Pfizer vaccine almost two weeks ago, weeks after it became available to her over-50 age group. She said the delay was caused by a dog bite that required her to get a tetanus jab, and that she then had to wait two weeks after a flu shot for the Covid vaccine.

Meanwhile, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said calls for a Toowoomba quarantine facility was “in defiance” of the Halton Report and Coates Review into quarantine.

Health Minister Greg Hunt says the Toowoomba quarantine proposal could increase the chance of transmission. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“The guidance we have is that you want to have major tertiary (hospital) capacity with a work force that doesn’t have to travel large distances because otherwise you are increasing transmission risk in rural or remote areas,” Mr Hunt said.