Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell says a large number of the 100,000 extra Pfizer vaccine must be distributed to the south-west region.
The Federal Government announced it would send the extra doses to Victoria over the coming weeks and Ms Britnell said the Andrews Labor Government needed to ensure a large amount was distributed to the Warrnambool vaccination centre.
“The Andrews Labor Government is responsible for distribution of doses it is provided from the Federal Government to vaccination centres around the state,” she said.
“We have people who work with the aged and in disability care who still haven’t had the vaccine because Pfizer hasn’t been available at the Warrnambool centre.
“People have been told to travel to Ballarat or Geelong, where vaccination centres are getting Pfizer doses regularly – The state Government has a responsibility to ensure vaccines are being distributed to all areas.”
Ms Britnell said she would call on The Minister for Health Martin Foley to ensure a large number of the extra Pfizer doses being provided by the Federal Government were sent to the Warrnambool site.
“People want to do the right thing and get the vaccine – but they can’t because the Andrews Labor Government hasn’t been sending enough doses to Warrnambool.”
She said news that the State Government was also stockpiling vaccines was worrying.
“Vaccinations need to be in people’s arms, not sitting in a Government stockpile,” she said.
“As of Sunday figures showed of the 980,000 doses supplied to the state, only 613,000 had been administered.
“We keep getting told the vaccine is out ticket out of lockdowns – but people can’t get vaccinated if doses are being held over in a State Government stockpile.”
