Delayed NSW lockdown unfair, slow jab rollout plunged Australia into danger, epidemiologists say

Australia is in a “very dangerous situation” after a slow rollout of the Covid jab left the nation wide open to spiralling outbreaks, experts say.

Leading epidemiologists have warned that the federal government’s “conservative approach” to the vaccine rollout has left the Australian public open to the potential for “out-of-control outbreaks”.

Chair of Biostatistics at the University of South Australia Adrian Esterman, has warned that Australia is currently in a “very dangerous situation”.

“The issue is that New South Wales has taken a suppression approach, relying on contact tracers instead of lockdowns (to eradicate the virus),” he said.

“The state then exported (the virus) to other states and territories. It’s not fair – they left it too late to go into lockdown.”

Deputy Premier James Merlino receiving his second Pfizer vaccination last week. Picture: James Ross

Covid was exported from NSW to other states, triggering restrictions. Picture: Steven Saphore

Professor Esterman said that if a “high proportion of us were vaccinated we wouldn’t have seen these outbreaks”.

“The Therapeutic Goods Administration takes a conservative approach,” he said.

“The government is also incredibly slow at making changes, including funding new quarantine centres and changing the way we roll out the vaccine.”

Professor Esterman compared the situation in Australia to other countries in Europe that have started to “mix and match vaccines” and “administer first and second doses in a shorter time period”.

“In the middle of a large, high-risk outbreak they need to take more risks,” he said.

Infectious diseases physician at ANU Peter Collignon also said that he supports “shorting the duration between vaccine doses”.

“At the moment we don’t have enough vaccine supply to shorten the dose time,” he said.

But Professor Collignon said there is “light at the end of the tunnel”.

“In two months’ time we are expecting a large amount of extra Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax vaccines to come in.

“When that happens, we should be able to up our weekly vaccination rollout to two million a week.”

Professor Collignon said it was “feasible” that we will see a large portion of the country fully vaccinated by November, in time for summer.