Health Minister Mark Butler will order a lightning-fast inquiry into the purchases of COVID-19 vaccine to investigate how Australia was caught short at the height of the pandemic and to investigate whether existing stocks are adequate.

The former government originally purchased 53.8 million doses of AstraZeneca, 10 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine and 51 million doses of Novavax. But further deals were done to ensure supply following concerns about the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the Novavax vaccine taking longer than expected to become available.

Health Minister Mark Butler will announce an inquiry into vaccine procurement.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The former government faced fierce criticism for its initial handling of the vaccine rollout, including claims that former prime minister Scott Morrison should have personally lobbied and personally lobbied Pfizer boss, Albert Bourla.

A further 10 million Pfizer doses were purchased in February 2021, another 20 million in April 2021 and additional smaller amounts from the UK, Poland and Singapore.

Australia currently has 85 million doses of Pfizer for use in 2022 and 2023 and 15 million doses of Moderna for 2022.

But according to a source familiar with the new government’s plans who asked not to be named as they were not authorised to share details of the announcement, “the government doesn’t have confidence that [the Department of] Health has got vaccine procurement right for the next two years”.

“They didn’t order enough or get the contracts in place last time. So they’re ordering an inquiry into past and future vaccine procurement.”

“The Health Minister and the Prime Minister want reassurance that they’ve got it right this time, as they [Health] didn’t two years ago.”

The inquiry is expected to be completed in a matter of weeks, rather than months.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison made clear his disappointment with the department’s handling of the initial rollout when he brought General John Frewen to coordinate logistics.

More than 95 per cent of Australians aged over 16 are fully vaccinated, which means they have had two shots. But the rollout of third shots is lagging at about 70 per cent.

About 2.3 million of the 6.5 million people who are eligible for a fourth or “winter” dose have had that fourth shot.

The eligibility for children aged six months to four years old is expected to be approved in the coming months.

More to come.

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