Gunner slams ‘national’ Pfizer stockpile, fears NT doses redirected to Sydney
A previously unknown ‘national stockpile’ of vaccines has been activated to send 50,000 Pfizer doses to Sydney, infuriating NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner.
Northern Territory
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CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has lashed the federal government over a secretive “national stockpile” of Pfizer vaccines after 50,000 doses were magically discovered and sent to Sydney.
Mr Gunner also expressed concern about those doses being redirected to Sydney from other states and territories.
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The stockpile was never used in previous lockdowns in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin or Alice Springs, and Mr Gunner said on Monday he and other state and Territory leaders had no idea about the existence of the stash of doses.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Mr Gunner offered his most pointed criticism of the federal government in years, saying he hoped the “national stockpile” comment was a gaffe.
“Australia’s deputy chief medical officer said New South Wales has received 50,000 additional doses from the national stockpile,” he said.
“I hope that’s a very poorly chosen set of words.”
“I’m not aware of a national stockpile.”
Mr Gunner said the existence of a national stockpile has never been raised in national cabinet, and he and other leaders had been led to believe Pfizer doses were being distributed immediately upon landing in Australia.
“Get the Pfizer out, get it into people’s arms,” he said.
“I am worried that maybe is just code for the fact that they took out of other people’s allocations.”
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt’s office referred the NT News’ questions to ‘Operation Covid Shield’.
A spokesman for the federal agency however denied the existence of a national stockpile.
“The Commonwealth does not have a stockpile of Pfizer vaccines,” he said.
“These additional doses are due to more doses than expected being delivered by Pfizer.”
The spokesman said the federal government had instead brought forward deliveries to NSW by weeks.
“In mid-July, to support the NSW Government’s response to the outbreak in Sydney, the Vaccine Taskforce brought forward an additional 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines for NSW,” he said.
“This included 150,000 doses of AstraZeneca and 150,000 doses of Pfizer from future allocations. The Commonwealth provided the additional 150,000 doses of Pfizer to NSW over the past fortnight.”
There was no response to a question asking whether the NT’s supply of Pfizer would be impacted by the changes.
The latest drama in the vaccine rollout comes after NSW authorities pleaded with other state and territory leaders to redirect their Covid-19 vaccines to virus-stricken southwest Sydney.
The request has been rejected by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders, including Mr Gunner.
Sydney reported 145 locally-acquired cases of Covid-19 on Monday.
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