Criticism of the former government’s Covid-19 vaccine procurement was justified despite a major review declining to stick the boot into Scott Morrison, the Health Minister has said.
Mark Butler released the findings from Professor Jane Halton’s review on Tuesday, which found the previous government’s actions were “consistent” with other high income countries.
It also recommends Australia stocks up on vaccines, orders from a wider range of sources, and is ready to roll them out quickly should a more dangerous variant emerge.
“The ability to quickly stand-up mass vaccination clinics should be retained in the event of an emergency or period of high demand,” the former Health Department secretary wrote in her report.
But the report, and Prof Halton, stopped short of doling out criticism of the Morrison government’s procurement program.
Mr Butler denied the report undermined Labor’s long standing criticism from opposition about the vaccine rollout.
“Our criticism was that frankly, the former government had not acted quickly enough to secure (vaccine) deals,” the Health Minister told reporters in Canberra.
When he commissioned the report in June, Mr Butler claimed the probe would not look at potential mistakes made by the Morrison government.
Prof Halton said the early procurement of Covid vaccines and treatments occurred in the context of global treatment shortages.
“Agreement to conditions not usually included in ordinary procurement contracts was necessary to secure commitments to supply,” she wrote.
Mr Butler backed her call for a “portfolio and redundancy approach” to the procurement of vaccines and other treatments, meaning some higher levels of wastage would need to be accepted.
