Health Minister Greg Hunt was doing the rounds this morning on breakfast TV and radio shows, to answer questions about the federal government's response to the Victorian lockdown and the state of the vaccine rollout.
We'll get to why there's a difference in the figures he's using and what was put to him in a moment, but first this is the terse exchange from Sunrise.
When challenged that only around around 2 per cent of the adult population has been vaccinated, Mr Hunt replied that it was much higher than that:
"I think our rate of vaccination in Australia is about 2 per cent of the population though isn't it, we're very low?" Seven's Natalie Barr said.
"No, that's not correct," Mr Hunt replied.
"It's 20 per cent of the Australian adult population equivalent, 4 million out of 20 million."
One dose or two?
The key difference between the Health Minister and Barr's figures is that Mr Hunt is using the number of people who have had one dose of a vaccine, and Barr is using two doses.
Currently, around 20 per cent of the adult population has had one dose — which studies have proved provides some protection against COVID-19.
According to government figures, 500,000 people have had two doses, or are fully vaccinated — around 2.5 per cent of the adult population.
The government has been very clear from the beginning of the rollout that, while having one dose is better than none at all, to be fully immunised a person needs two doses, either three weeks apart for Pfizer, or 12 weeks apart for AstraZeneca.
Hunt denies saying people could wait for vaccines
Mr Hunt also defended the government's messaging, saying he and the Prime Minister did not say people over 50 who would get the AstraZeneca vaccine could "wait" to get an mRNA jab later in the year when supplies of Pfizer and Moderna arrived.
Last week he said the government encouraged anyone over 50 "to be vaccinated as early as possible".
"But we've been very clear that as supply increases later on in the year, there will be enough mRNA vaccines for every Australian," he went on to say.
This morning, Mr Hunt said it was "false" that he had ever suggested people should wait for a vaccine.
"But one of the reason they're saying [they want to wait] is that you and the Prime Minister told them that, you said there's no rush," Barr said.
"That's false," Mr Hunt interjected.
"For weeks and weeks and weeks, you said there's no rush," Barr replied.
"That's false," he said again.
"We talked about it on this program," Barr said.
"That's false," Mr Hunt said.
What about aged care?
One of the concerns raised yesterday as Victoria's outbreak grew was that there were nearly 30 aged care homes that still hadn't received a vaccine, despite aged care residents being considered the most vulnerable group in the country.
Yesterday, Mr Hunt said the government was making vaccinating Victorian aged care homes a priority and all would be done by today.
The Chief Medical Officer has also stepped in to change the health advice for facilities in Victoria, meaning they do not have to wait two weeks between influenza and COVID vaccines.
Mr Hunt told Sky News as at today there were nine facilities left in Victoria without first doses.
He said nationally, 25 out of the 40 facilities that haven't received their first vaccine dose would also get them today.
Speaking on the ABC's AM program though, he would not say how many people in disability care were still waiting on their first dose.
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2021-05-27 23:56:10Z
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