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Structural damage to a vaccine storage facility used by Queensland Health could take months to be fixed, raising fear of stock shortages and delays to vaccination schedules.
A large section of the loading bay floor and an adjoining retaining wall collapsed at Toll Group’s healthcare distribution centre in Richlands, west of Brisbane, in late December, forcing the warehouse’s closure over safety concerns.
The $10 million custom-designed facility is used by Queensland Health and biotechnology multinational CSL to store and distribute vaccines and pharmaceuticals and was opened in 2023.
Toll established a temporary storage facility following the collapse, but the incident resulted in delays to vaccine deliveries, including childhood vaccines offered through the National Immunisation Program.
A spokesperson for the Australian Medical Association Queensland said it was “aware of some practices experiencing difficulty accessing vaccines and has sought an urgent update from Queensland Health”.
Queensland Health said service providers should not be concerned about access to vaccine stock.
“We took immediate action to avoid any disruption to vaccine supply following an incident at Toll’s storage facility and Toll have established a temporary site in Victoria to support the Queensland vaccine program,” a Queensland Health spokesperson said.
“Incoming orders are being prioritised according to most urgent need and it is anticipated that distribution will normalise soon.”
Queensland Health said stock remained safely stored with appropriate temperature control until access could be co-ordinated. The department was working with Toll to ensure access to the Richlands site as soon as possible.
But the scope of structural damage is significant and will require engineering assessments to determine how and when the warehouse can return to operating as usual, with access to the site closed indefinitely.
A CSL spokesman said the damage to the facility had not affected its supply chain given the company primarily focused on flu vaccines, which were not required for at least two months in preparation for the winter period.
“The supply of CSL products to healthcare professionals and patients hasn’t been impacted as we have been able to supply from within our network,” the spokesman said.
Toll was contacted for comment.
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