Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd has knocked back the belief state governments are responsible for ensuring stocks for the vaccine’s second dose are available.

The tit for tat debate was sparked when the Palaszczuk government argued slow vaccination rates in Queensland were caused by a need to conserve half the vaccine shipments for second doses.

Press PLAY below to hear Neil Breen recap the feud

But Professor Kidd said it was always the federal government’s responsibility to ensure second doses were available.

“The federal government is holding back contingency supplies. … particularly with the Pfizer vaccine,” he told Neil.

Professor Kidd acknowledged the vaccine rollout is slower than initially projected, but said it’s been out of the federal government’s hands.

“The uncertainty of supply from overseas and the decision to block shipments of vaccines from Europe coming to other parts of the world.

“We were expecting another 3.2 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to have arrived in Australia from overseas.”

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Image: Nine News