The ‘very serious’ problem with Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout

A health policy expert has warned Australia faces a “very serious situation” due to the slow COVID-19 vaccine rollout across the country.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison initially set an end of March target of four million jabs administered, but fewer than a million have been given.

Strategic health policy consultant at UNSW, Adjunct Professor Bill Bowtell, says it’s a major concern.

“In the world, the virus is mutating faster than we in Australia are vaccinating,” he told Stephen Quartermain and Emily Power. filling in for Ross and Russel.

“Most of the other countries in the world … have got this through their head that they need to mobilise urgently to get ahead of the variants of the virus that are spreading in the world.

“It’s a very serious situation.”

Professor Bowtell says both distribution and supply issues play a role in the slow rollout.

“We have problems with supply, because of the way in which procurement was organised five and six months ago,” he said.

“And we clearly have problems with distribution … we are not moving fast enough with mass vaccination centres and so on.

“We are falling way behind.”

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