Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout is not just a shambles, it’s an expensive shambles.

The program is so bad that the Federal Government has given up on setting meaningful targets and has now redefined target setting to when an activity starts, rather than when it finishes.

It has paid millions of dollars to private companies to help with the rollout – but exactly who has been paid how much and for what is shrouded in secrecy.

What we do know is that the private contractors haven’t been able to prevent the numerous failures – in acquisition of vaccines, distribution to GPs and states, ensuring that priority groups are vaccinated, and maintaining public confidence in the program.