Health Minister Dr David Clark has been grilled this morning over the Government's distribution "disconnect" with frontline health workers after the New Zealand Medical Association said yesterday some Kiwis couldn't get flu vaccines for 10 days.
Dr Clark appeared on TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning after chair of the New Zealand Medical Association Kate Baddock spoke to the Epidemic Response Committee yesterday about flu vaccine distribution.
While with the committee, Dr Baddock said her practice had over 4000 patients who needed vaccinations that couldn't get them and she was concerned the same thing could happen if or when New Zealand gets a Covid-19 vaccine - a statement Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern "disagreed" with later that afternoon.
Breakfast presenter Haydn Jones asked Dr Clark if there was a disconnect between the Beehive and those on the medical front line.
Dr Clark said it was a difficult time for Government.
"I think there had been some huge challenges previously with the distribution of the flu vaccine," Dr Clark said.
"What we're seeing now is that 1.2 million vaccines have been distributed, 600,000 have been administered and the number that have been distributed this year is nearly double what it was at this time last year, and we already had a record-year last year.
This comes as the Prime Minister defended the Government’s preparations for carrying out the vaccinations. (Source: Other)
"Part of it is the challenges of so many more people coming forward to get the vaccine - that's a really good thing, that's a success story - and now the challenges with distribution have been worked through as there are people in the regions redistributing actively where it's required."
The answer didn't quite cut it for Jones, though, who said: "Minister, I'm not concerned about the ones you've got. I'm worried about the ones you don't have and the perception that the Prime Minister is standing up and saying, 'It's fine,' and you've got doctors on the frontline saying it's not fine."
In response, Dr Clark said there are 600,000 "out there" but once again, Jones reminded him he wasn't interested in the ones the Government has.
"There's people lining up," the Breakfast presenter pointed out. "We've seen shots in Dunedin of cars after cars down the road lining up for a vaccine.
"Are you short of vaccines?"
Dr Clark said the 600,000 he highlighted were the ones filling in the gaps around the country but they hadn't been administered yet.
There have been calls for an apology after at-risk patients had to be turned away. (Source: Other)
"It is something that certainly was a challenge previously but the redistribution mechanisms are now working," Dr Clark said.
"I'm hearing less about this on the ground now than I was a week or two ago."
When Jones brought up Dr Baddock's appeal to the Epidemic Response Committee from yesterday, Dr Clark said that her claims weren't a current situation.
"I think Kate Baddock described a previous example and expressed her concern that if this wasn't addressed, we would have problems in the future.
"I am confident that we have been sorting this out and it is now working a lot better."
Finally, when asked if there was a disconnect between the Government and health officials, Dr Clark responded with a smile.
"I have a clear picture now of that vaccine being distributed around the country and people are getting the vaccine in record numbers.
"The flu season is actually a month away. We're getting in a lot earlier than previous years. We did start earlier and we had some challenges with distribution early on partly as a consequence of starting early."
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