The Northern Territory’s health minister has rejected concerns about delivery delays for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

March 15, 2021

Health Minister Natasha Fyles has reassured the Northern Territory the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is on track despite AstraZeneca delivery delays.

The Gunner government failed to place an order for about 1500 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was expected to arrive in the NT last week, a federal Department of Health spokesman said.

Ms Fyles said on Monday the rollout remained on schedule and the second round of Pfizer vaccine jabs for about 4000 Territorians was set to start in the coming days.

“About 3500 of our frontline workers have been vaccinated to date. We aim to complete Phase 1a this week,” she told reporters on Monday.

“It’s certainly well on track.”

Ms Fyles said the Commonwealth had previously said the AstraZeneca vaccine would be sent, but it hadn’t been needed because there was a sufficient supply of the Pfizer vaccine.

“We have placed an order for AstraZeneca and have worked with the Commonwealth to make sure the supplies we get into the Territory are all utilised,” she said.

“It’s had no impact on (Phase 1a of the rollout),” she said, referring to the 1500 doses of AstraZeneca that didn’t arrive.

Asked whose responsibility it was to place the order, Ms Fyles didn’t directly answer the question.

“Not to point criticism at anyone, we haven’t needed that AstraZeneca and when it was approved we expressed we’d be keen to have it here in the Territory,” she said.

“There was no misunderstanding. It’s a really complicated vaccine rollout.”

Opposition spokesman for national resilience, Gerard Maley, said it was unacceptable for the government to forget to place the order.

“The fact Labor is attempting to shift blame to the federal government demonstrates its confusion about the process, which is deeply concerning,” he said.

“This is a major oversight.”