The Morrison Government’s hapless vaccine rollout hits a bunch of new hurdles today. Not that you would know about them if it was up to the PM. Via the AFR:
- Doctors concerned over questions about the AstraZeneca vaccine procured by the Morrison Government have been threatened by the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA).
- They are not even allowed to discuss the relative merits of different vaccines.
- “We all … live in fear with a Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads, should we offend AHPRA,” emergency doctor and outspoken social media commentator David Berger told the ABC’s Health Report on Monday.“There is a strong argument the Australian government has failed in its procurement policy in this greatest national crisis since World War II and that the country has ended up with a vaccination policy which many would argue is not the best for purpose … and now we see that doctors are being suppressed … and very clearly warned off criticism.”
The “procurement policy” was a rushed politically staged event managed through the game of mates so let’s not be overly shocked by the outcome:
Probity in action
PM Morrison yesterday was forthright about the safety of the AZ version and insisted that we all get it. But, of course, his own preference was to get the Pfizer jab instead. It works with greater efficacy as well as better on variants. Nor does it have a dark cloud hanging over it in terms of side effects, real or imagined.
Last night Sweden and Latvia paused their rollouts of the AZ jab while Thailand resumed with it. Various EU medical bodies declared it safe. Italy launched a manslaughter case after one man perished following his shot. After autopsy, he was declared dead from unrelated causes. France and Italy hinted they may lift the suspensions soon.
At this stage the evidence of AZ blood clotting side effects is slim. It is very likely safe. But that does not excuse a hapless rollout that is last in the developed world, dogged by questions of safety and inefficacy. Other countries’ procurement policies delivered either more efficacious vaccines or a range of choices much faster in anticipation of such hiccups.
As usual, PM Morrison policy process privileged mates and marketing over national interest and you.
