Australia's Vaccine Delays: Lives Lost & $31 Billion Hit

An inquiry into the government's response to the pandemic revealed that the significant delays in Australia's COVID-19 vaccine roll out led to fatalities and a $31 billion economic downturn. Today, the federal government published its response to the 868-page report and declared the formal establishment of a Center for Disease Control (CDC), following the launch of an interim CDC earlier this year. The inquiry also concluded that, despite Australia having one of the most effective responses to the COVID-19 outbreak, marked by relatively low death rates compared to other countries, the nation was ultimately unprepared for the pandemic.