Four Corners: May 24

Monday’s Four Corners is “Vaccinating Australia,” a report by Adam Harvey into what went wrong with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.

“Today’s a day of hope and Australia needs hope, the world needs hope.” Prime Minister Scott Morrison

As the horror year of 2020 drew to a close, Australians were told there was a way out of the pandemic. A mass vaccination program would be our ticket to freedom. The federal government outlined a plan that would see vast numbers of Australians inoculated against the virus by October 2021. Months on, beset by supply problems and hitches in the rollout, the government has abandoned its targets and faces accusations of having botched it.

“Everything that could possibly go wrong, went wrong.” Former health department head

Australia’s success in keeping COVID from taking hold has made the nation the envy of the world, but the slow pace of the rollout has caused frustration and confusion.

“If we look like we’re slow, if we look like we are taking our time, if we look like we don’t really know how well we are doing against our performance expectations…Would that fill me with confidence as a citizen? Absolutely not.” Epidemiologist

On Monday Four Corners investigates how Australia’s vaccine program rollout has fallen short.

“One of the failures of the federal government communications has been this lack of transparency around the quantity of vaccines we have in the country, the quantity we’re administering, and what we can expect.” Epidemiologist

Featuring interviews with the key advisers and decision makers running the rollout, Four Corners charts the pivotal moments that have led the nation to this point.

“Throughout last year it was very clear that the Commonwealth wanted to keep the vaccine planning to themselves.” State government minister

Those running the government’s rollout fiercely defend their actions.

“Everything we do in this pandemic is dealing with a situation where the world is facing a challenge unlike anything in 100 years. And yet of all the countries in the world, the economic outcome, the human outcome, puts Australia at the forefront.” Health Minister

Critics say petty politicking and a lack of transparency have hampered the plan.

“I don’t think Australians will mind or would mind if mistakes were made along the way…The problem is when they introduced secrecy, they introduce suspicion.” Senator

Those on the frontline are urging Australians to put their faith in the vaccines that are currently available, warning with winter approaching and the pandemic still raging globally, the nation is still at extreme risk.

“I am concerned that Australians seem to believe that this virus is just going to go away. It’s not, it’s going to come here, and if you’re not vaccinated there is a good chance you will be infected.” Head of Infectious Diseases

Monday 24th May at 8.30pm on ABC.