The office for the Victorian Minister for Health and the federal Health Department were unable to confirm on Thursday evening if the syringe shortage would also affect the Victorian vaccine roll-out.

But Professor Peter Collignon – who sits on the federal Infection Control Expert Group – said the global shortage would likely be an issue for all states and territories.

Victorian-based epidemiologist Professor Mike Toole from the Burnet Institute also speculated Victoria would see wastage,but said it was standard practice for up to 20 per cent of vaccines to be discarded during polio and whooping cough inoculation programs.

“I know this particular vaccine,we don’t want any wastage but if we can keep wastage to less than five per cent[that’s OK],” he said.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said NSW was being “cautious and conservative as they should be”.

“When we ordered,we based it on the foundation of five,and more than that is a bonus:it’s not the other way round,” he added.

There are major shortages of the low dead space syringes being reported overseas,including in Japan and the US,as countries race to vaccinate their populations against coronavirus.

Infectious diseases physician and associate professor at the University of Queensland Paul Griffin said low dead space syringes were usually only used in “unique” situations.

“For example,IVF transfers where we can’t afford to have anything left behind.”

However,they have become important for coronavirus vaccines packaged in multi-use vials. Most vaccines Australians receive are packaged in single-use vials,where the dose provided is exact for one patient.

“It only happens when we have no other choice,” Dr Griffin said of the multi-use vials,adding that he believed the current approach of proceeding with standard syringes was “justified”.

“It is ideal to get that low dead space syringe,but in circumstances like this it is just a time thing.”

At a parliamentary inquiry earlier this month, Professor Murphy admitted the multi-use vials were “a significant cause of risk and anxiety” due to Australia’s lack of experience.

A 2019 World Health Organisation guidance document found 10-dose vials,like those that will contain the AstraZeneca vaccine,have wastage rates between 15-25 per cent compared to a 5 per cent wastage rate from single-dose vials.

With Rachael Dexter