Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has appointed one of Queensland’s highest-ranking police officers to oversee the state’s expanded COVID vaccination roll-out.
The Premier said Deputy Commissioner Shane Chelepy will co-ordinate the operational and logistical elements to support Queensland Health teams and ensure more Queenslanders have access to the COVID vaccine.
“Ensuring more Queenslanders are vaccinated is a huge logistical exercise.”
“Deputy Commissioner Chelepy will have the responsibility of ensuring our vaccine clinics and community hubs are ready to administer vaccines in a timely way,” the Premier said.
Deputy Commissioner Chelepy is a 35-year veteran of the police service including as Commander of Police Specialist Operations including SERT.
For the past 10 years he has been Co-ordinator of the State Disaster Centre responding to cyclones, floods and fires.
“Our disaster management framework gives us an opportunity to harness the same co-ordination we see during cyclones and other natural disasters,” Deputy Commissioner Chelepy said.
“We can use that excellent response mechanism and apply it now to the vaccine roll-out.”
