State Development Minister Cameron Dick confirmed his department was looking at any gaps in the supply chain to ensure Queensland did not miss out on life-saving vaccines.

His comments came after researchers at the University of Queensland vowed to produce a COVID-19 vaccine within months. Experts in the field, such as Professor Peter Doherty and Professor Ian Frazer, told InQueensland that local manufacturing was needed to ensure Australians were not disadvantaged in the global distribution of any breakthrough vaccines.

Dick said, “we are looking at all aspects of the supply chain to ensure Queenslanders have what they need in the future”.

“The Department of State Development is working with the University of Queensland, along with a number of other stakeholders to design, manufacture and produce essential personal protective equipment and health devices and products, including vaccines, in Queensland,” the Minister said.

Demand for PPE could potentially slow the resumption of elective surgery, which was down 15 per cent in March to allow hospitals to prepare for a surge in COVID-19 cases. Queensland Health director-general Dr John Wakefield today said the safety of patients and staff remained a priority, but noted that face masks that traditionally cost 70 cents now cost $70.

In a previous stint as health minister, Dick had argued for Australia to have greater capacity to manufacture vaccines, raising the question of whether the nation could have been better prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The current crisis demonstrates how critical this is and how vulnerable we are to international supply chains for health supplies, which can be broken at very short notice,” Dick said.

“I first raised this issue with the then-federal health minister and other state and territory health ministers five years ago.

“Regrettably my repeated call to develop a sovereign manufacturing capability for vaccines was not supported by the federal government, which has lead responsibility for assuring vaccine supply and distribution.”

Two years ago, the federal government itself raised the possibility of a sovereign manufacturing and research facility for vaccines. However, nothing eventuated and it was regarded by some in the sector as simply a negotiating tactic for a new supply agreement with CSL/Seqiris, the formerly government-owned health giant.

At the same time, a rush on flu vaccines, after a bad season in 2017, exposed problems in domestic vaccine supply and distribution, confused public messaging, and vulnerable people missing out. The federal government was warned that if Australia could not manage a normal flu season it was seriously underprepared for a pandemic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has vowed to do everything possible to protect Australia during the pandemic and ensure its swift economic recovery.