Coronavirus crisis: Healthcare Australia ‘has book thrown at it’ over ‘unacceptable’ COVID-19 vaccine overdose

The company responsible for giving two Queensland patients a COVID-19 vaccine overdose have had the “book thrown at them” by the Federal Government. Department of Health Secretary Brendan Murphy met with the private contractor, Healthcare Australia, and stressed the seriousness of the breach. While initially advising Health Minister Greg Hunt yesterday that the doctor responsible for the overdose had gone through the necessary training, Healthcare Australia later revealed this was not the case. “The company has had the book thrown at it by Professor Brendan Murphy, the secretary - which is not something he does very often,” Mr Hunt said. He added: “The thing that particularly upset us was the combination of somebody who was brought on untrained and then the clearly false information... made despite repeated interrogation from the department.” Both patients are healthy and have suffered no adverse affects from the overdose. The online training was developed by the Government and Australian College of Nursing to ensure the vaccine is stored and administered properly. The company has now “been put on notice of potential termination for any significant further breaches”. Mr Hunt confirmed the Commonwealth has requested former Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer of Australia, Deb Thoms, to be installed within the company for support. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd apologised for the mistake and said the breach was “unacceptable”. “This error should not have happened and we apologise to the residents and their families and the carers at the facility for the distress that this has caused,” he said. “The company responsible for the rollout of the vaccine in residential aged care facilities in Queensland, HealthCare Australia, HCA, is clearly at fault here... This doctor should not have been permitted to carry out these vaccinations without having completed the required training.”