Australia’s vaccine rollout has been a disaster.   So far only 2.8 percent of Australians have been fully vaccinated... In Israel 57% are fully vaccinated. 

 

In Israel they prioritised the Pfizer vaccine, in Australia we bet harder on the AstraZeneca vaccine... and backed the wrong horse.   Professor Bill Bowtell is Adjunct Professor at UNSW’s Kirby Institute. He says Australia was offered a deal with Pfizer and knocked it back

 

This week we learned that the AstraZeneca vaccine, thanks to its blood clot issues, will be phased out by October.   This is bringing the decision not to secure more Pfizer doses earlier into very sharp focus. How and why did Australia back the wrong horse in the Covid vaccine stakes?

 

TODAY'S HEADLINES

• Leading epidemiologists criticise NSW virus strategy

• China lodges dispute with Australia at WTO

• Britney Spears speaks out about conservatorship

• Canadian investigators find more than 700 graves at former school

• Trump lawyer’s licence revoked over election claims

 

Follow The Briefing

Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast 
Facebook: TheBriefingNewsAU
Twitter: @TheBriefingAU 

YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBriefingSUBSCRIBE 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.