Chief Minister refuses to rule out delays to Darwin mass vax hub

A mass vaccination hub in Darwin that was promised to be opened by July may need to be delayed, after yet another change to who can receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.

A PROMISED vaccine hub in Darwin to turbocharge the NT’s vaccine rollout may have to be delayed after changes to the vaccine rollout.

Health authorities last week raised the minimum age for AstraZeneca from 50 to 60, after more reported cases of blood clotting, meaning an extra 20,000 Territorians would need to receive Pfizer instead.

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When asked whether the promised vaccine hub would be delayed due to feared supply shortages, Chief Minister Michael Gunner didn’t rule out shifting its opening from before July.

“We will open a mass vaccination hub,” Mr Gunner said.

Dr Lionel Crompton gives Chief Minister Michael Gunner the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

“We are working through what affect last week’s updated Commonwealth guidelines for AstraZeneca will have on short term Pfizer demand – to determine whether the timing for opening changes.”

To help manage the increased demand for Pfizer caused by the change, a number of clinics and Aboriginal healthcare services will switch from receiving their doses from the NT government to the Commonwealth.

“I will keep pushing hard to get the supply we need to keep accelerating our rollout,” Mr Gunner said.

Victorian premier James Merlino on Monday lashed the Commonwealth’s sluggish rollout of Covid-19 vaccines.

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