Australia lagging behind in COVID-19 vaccine rollout

The federal government has fallen behind its COVID-19 vaccine rollout timeline a little more than two weeks into the nation-wide program – with just three per cent of the initial goal achieved so far. Authorities announced an initial goal of four million vaccinations administered by the end of March, however, with three weeks to go until the end of the month just three per cent of that figure have been vaccinated. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy today defended the rollout, saying the government is prioritising safety over speed. “This is not a race. We have no burning platform in Australia, we are taking it as quickly and carefully and safely as we can,” Mr Murphy said. “We can take our time … we are expanding our rollout every day.” When asked whether he could confirm how many Australians will have actually received the jab by the end of March, Mr Morrison said he was unable to provide a figure. “We said at the time that any of these estimates that we give are always subject to the progress of the rollout and the events that we encounter along the way,” he responded. “When we’re in a better position to give an update on those figures then we will and we’re certainly working to the sort of targets that we would hope for. “Australians know that they want the vaccination program rolled out safely and securely.” Mr Murphy reiterated, however, the major target remained to have every Australian adult seeking the jab vaccinated by the end of October. Israel is leading the global rollout race, having vaccinated 45 per cent of its population – with close to four million people having received two doses.