Vaccine bungle undermines public confidence in efforts to contain the pandemic
The Morrison government concedes public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been affected by a bungle in Queensland.
A doctor administered too much of the Pfizer vaccine to two Brisbane aged care residents.
He had not undergone the proper training to take part in the program.
Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck says the mistake is unacceptable.
“It doesn’t help with the overall confidence in the vaccine rollout,” Senator Colbeck told Nine on Thursday.
“That’s why measures have been taken as of yesterday and overnight across the country to ensure people can have confidence.”
An investigation is underway and the government plans to take action against the doctor’s employer, Healthcare Australia.
He has now been reported to the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and stood aside from the vaccine program.
One of the vaccine recipients, an 88-year-old man, was admitted to hospital for observation and on Wednesday was showing no signs of adverse reaction.
A 94-year-old woman is being monitored in the aged care home.
Health Minister Greg Hunt initially told reporters and parliament on Wednesday the doctor had successfully completed the vaccination training course.
But he subsequently reported back to parliament the training had not been completed.
Healthcare Australia initially advised the minister it had copies of the certificates of completion “for each health professional involved in the vaccine rollout” but this turned out to be inaccurate.
The minister has asked his department for action against the company and the doctor.
Labor frontbencher Katy Gallagher told parliament the government should have done more checks before outsourcing the program to private providers with “fat contracts”.
“This is the Commonwealth taking responsibility for an area they don’t usually operate in – running immunisation programs that the states and territories are well across,” she said.
“We need confidence in this vaccination rollout. We need people to believe that it is done safely by trained professionals who have had all the ticks in their boxes and the government has checked all this.”
Healthcare Australia has the federal contract for the vaccination workforce in NSW and Queensland, and Aspen Medical is responsible for the other states and territories.
Queensland has asked a national cabinet due to be held in March be brought forward to discuss issues with the vaccination program.
-AAP
