Coronavirus: business wants shot at rollout

The corporate sector is ready to step in and accelerate the Covid-19 vaccination program, Westpac boss Peter King says.

Westpac CEO Peter King pictured at the Westpac Kent St office tower in the Sydney CBD. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Westpac chief executive Peter King says the nation’s corporate sector is ready to step in and accelerate the Covid-19 immunisation program as the Morrison government comes under pressure for delivering mixed messages and contributing to the sluggish take-up of vaccines.

Mr King, writing in The Australian, said vaccinations were critical to “getting our lives back” and warned closing international borders for years and relying on lockdowns when outbreaks occur was unsustainable.

His comments — which come as Australia continues to lag other developed nations in its immunisation program — reflect a growing frustration by some in the business community that more can be done to provide more vaccines.

“I understand there are varying views among Australians with regards to vaccines,” he writes. “But from my perspective, given the need to help protect our families and friends when further outbreaks occur, as well as the economic costs to communities, we need as many Australians as possible to get vaccinated as fast as possible.”

Qantas chairman Richard Goyder has similarly urged businesses to adopt incentives encouraging more Australians to get vaccinated, warning that the public was in danger of becoming too complacent about getting a jab due to relatively low levels of community transmission.

He called on the sector to consider following Qantas’s example in providing rewards for vaccinated customers as the airline moves to announce a new program that could include flight vouchers, frequent-flyer points or status credits for those who have had the jab.

“We are hoping, with this package of incentives from Qantas, others will follow and provide incentives and set examples.”

Mr King writes that having more Australians vaccinated would better enable the private sector to take the baton from the public sector in driving the next phase of the economic recovery.

“We are running a comprehensive awareness campaign to help our people make informed choices and access government information and resources on when and how they can get vaccinated.

“With a large number of our people now eligible to receive the vaccine, our employees can use their sick leave to attend their vaccination appointments and we’re also allowing people time to rest and recover when necessary, and if governments allow for corporate vaccinations programs going forward, we will run one.”

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott has also called on the Therapeutic Goods Administration to remove barriers preventing companies from discussing or providing information about specific vaccines, arguing the business sector can play an important role in encouraging vaccine take-up.

“Companies are itching to say, ‘Look, we can provide facilities … we could be a partner with ­governments, in getting this thing done faster, getting people ­information,” Ms Westacott told Sky News.

The TGA, part of the Department of Health, has strict guidelines for promoting or discussing different drugs, with businesses concerned they may fall foul of a guideline. Ms Westacott said the TGA should reconsider guidelines and warned messaging from health officials had been inconsistent, which created unnecessary anxiety in the community.

“People are worried, and you can understand people being anxious, but we have got to get people vaccinated, because then we can get our lives back, and we can get our country going again,” she said.

On Sunday, Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack defended the vaccination program, and insisted it was “not a race”.

“It’s not a race. It has to be systematic, it has to be rolled out in a way that Australians obviously need to know that they have to get the jab,” Mr McCormack said.

“But we can’t have everybody going and getting it at the same time, and that’s why there has been a phased-in system.”

Health Minister Greg Hunt also defended the government’s approach, and said the message had always been the same: “Please come forward at the earliest possible time.” According to the latest figures, 59,750 vaccines were administered on Saturday, bringing the country’s total to 4.2 million.

But Australian Medical Association president Omar Khorshid said the government had been giving “mixed messages” and urged a new national campaign to lift the number of immunisations.

“I don’t think that’s deliberate, I think they’re trying to communicate to Australians honestly and openly, but in doing so sometimes they send out a confused message,” Dr Khorshid said.

But Labor leader Anthony Albanese said the government was contributing to vaccine hesitancy.

“The fact is, as well, that the rest of the world understands, that the rollout of the vaccine is entirely necessary to be done as quickly as possible so that they can open up their economy and, as the rest of the world opens up, Australia will be increasingly falling behind,” Mr Albanese said.

“We were told we’re at the front of the queue. And we’re not even in the top 100 of nations.”