By Danielle Kutchel
The Federal Government has pledged to provide further Pfizer vaccines to Victoria as the state faces a shortage of Covid-19 vaccines.
As Victoria ramps up the fight against the virus – and with local GPs reporting soaring demand – rumours began to swirl about whether our supply was keeping up, including at Monash Health-run vaccination hubs in the south east.
Now, the Department of Health (DH) has confirmed there isn’t currently enough to go around.
In a statement on Friday 4 June, a DH spokesperson said Victoria and the Commonwealth were working closely to “balance vaccine logistics and supply”.
“Victoria must maintain a vaccine reserve to prepare for any disruptions to incoming supply and to ensure those who have received their first dose can receive their second one,” the spokesperson said.
“The recent surge in demand is reducing stock reserved for future bookings and second doses.”
Then on Sunday 6 June, the Federal Government announced that Victoria would receive an extra 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, delivered over three weeks from Monday 14 June.
Supplies of AstraZeneca to GPs will also be increased, with Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt announcing a doubling of doses to GPs over the next two weeks.
It comes as GP clinics across Casey told Star News Group that there had been a massive rise in demand for vaccines since the government expanded eligibility and the circuit breaker lockdown began.
Monash Health was contacted for comment.
