The most recent data from the federal government pointed out that South Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout was the slowest in the country, with the state managing only 57 percent of the vaccine that has been allocated.
Key points:
- SA has provided 37,656 of the 79,990 doses of vaccine available
- The state government said that the Commonwealth was oversupplying SA
- The president of AMA SA said the state’s vaccine rollout was “not as bad” as the data suggested
To date, 1.1 million doses of vaccine have been given to Australians, with 37,656 of them delivered to SA on April 12.
That’s even though South Australia received 79,990 doses.
According to the data, Tasmania and ACT have given 100 percent of the doses they have given to date.
Labor health spokesman Chris Picton slammed the government’s so-called “safe and stable” approach and called for vaccine efforts to be “scaled up”.
“The worst performance domestically needs to be fixed immediately to get back on track.”
Provided: Ministry of Health
)Government says data is ‘misleading’
Health Minister Stephen Wade said vaccinate South Australia the launch was actually the third fastest in the country, and “aligned” with the “state share of the national population”.
“When you add up the doses given by doctors, and the Commonwealth care of the elderly, we are actually superior per capita,” he said.
Mr Wade said the federal government had sent excessive doses of the vaccine to SA, which had diverged launch figures.
“Before Easter we received 14,000 doses of vaccine in just two days, and we were only expecting 7,000,” he said.
“We’re not complaining about receiving a dose … but it leads to a misleading impression.”
ABC News: Michael Clements
)Mr Wade said a total of 89,762 doses had been given in SA when calculating those dispatched at Commonwealth primary and elderly care facilities – whose administrations are governed by federal government.
Alwyndor Aged Care residents in Hove still haven’t received the vaccine.
General manager Beth Davidson-Park said she was concerned about the speed of distribution, which she said was slower than they had expected.
“Family and closest relatives have asked, usually the more concerned about Mum or Dad’s well-being,” he said.
The AMA said the launch was ‘not as bad’ as the data suggested
Australian Medical Association (AMA) SA President Chris Moy acknowledged there were some logistical problems with the state’s vaccine rollout.
“But there is still a proportion where, if we can be more efficient in getting the vaccine to our frontline workers, it will be better.”
Dr Moy said while several front lines workers have turned down AstraZeneca’s jab because of concerns about blood clots, he doesn’t expect it to have a significant impact on the state’s vaccine rollout.