Vaccine supply stoush over MCG Grand Final vaccination blitz

The MCG has been thrown up as a location for Grand Final vaccination blitz, but health ministers are split over the plan.

Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley has warned vaccine supply could be the one thing stopping a mass Covid-19 vaccination hub at the iconic MCG.

A Herald Sun campaign spawned the idea of the “jab at the ‘G” in the lead up to the AFL Grand Final as a way to supercharge the state’s vaccination rate.

Thousands of Victorians could be vaccinated at the empty MCG precinct on the public holiday Friday and the Grand Final Saturday.

Sport, community and health leaders have backed the idea, including Deakin University epidemiologist Catherine Bennett, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp and Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.

The MCG has been proposed as a mass vaccination site in the lead up to the Grand Final. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

While Mr Foley said he would “strongly support” any idea to increase the Covid-19 jab uptake, he said opening a new mass hub would hinge on vaccine supply from the federal government.

“If the commonwealth can provide more vaccines for, whether it’s the MCG, or Luna Park, or, anywhere else that could be a fun thing to vaccine around, then that’s great,” he said.

“We would be strongly supportive of helping get Victorians to participate in that.”

But the Federal Department of Health firmly disputed Mr Foley’s claims, insisting existing vaccine supplies would be sufficient to enable the opening of a new vaccine hub like the one proposed for the MCG.

“The Victorian Health Minister’s assertions are incorrect,” a department spokesman told NCA NewsWire.

“As the Prime Minister and Lieutenant General Frewen have said – by mid-October it is anticipated that Australia will have enough vaccine in the country for everyone who is eligible to be double dosed.”

Health Minister Greg Hunt echoed his department’s statements, insisting the government was already supporting Victoria to expand its vaccine rollout with the addition of 417,000 extra mRNA vaccines set to enter the state over the coming month.

“We’d be very happy to support, but we’re very supportive of any proposals to give people more opportunity to vaccinate,” Mr Hunt said.

“There are very large numbers of vaccines – over 400,000 vaccines being surged into Victoria now – so the opportunity is there.”

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the construction of the MCG vaccine hub was ultimately the responsibility of the Victorian state government. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage.

Despite his enthusiasm for the potential MCG vaccine hub, Mr Hunt asserted the hub’s construction was ultimately the responsibility of the Victorian state government.

“This would have to be something given the nature of it that would be done at state level,” he said.

But Mr Foley said the state government’s priority at the moment was to take the vaccines to where the people are in the areas of greatest need.

“We have clear priorities in the allocating every single vaccine that we get through the state-run clinics,” the Victorian Health Minister said.

Health Minister Martin Foley said vaccine supply could halt the idea. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

“We’re running at over 98, 99 per cent efficiency. You get it to us, we get it out.

“We want to make sure those vaccines are delivered to the people in the communities where the need is and at the moment our priorities are the north and west (of Melbourne), the VCE group and the construction group because that’s the areas of greatest need.

“If the commonwealth want to provide us more vaccines into Victoria to do more work, we’ll happily take that.”

More than 40 per cent of Victorians aged 16 and older are now fully vaccinated, with 66 per cent having received at least one dose.

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