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The CEO of the company responsible for administering two overdoses of the COVID-19 vaccine to elderly patients in Queensland has stood aside in the wake of the bungle.

Jason Cartwright, CEO of Healthcare Australia (HCA), has agreed to stand aside on the vaccine rollout after the Commonwealth-contracted company failed to check whether the doctor in question was trained and then misled the government.

Health Minister Greg Hunt revealed during question time today Mr Cartwright was being stood aside while investigations continue.

READ MORE: Company behind vaccine overdoses having 'book thrown at them'

"The secretary for the Department met with and spoke with the CEO initially and with the chair of the company, I'm advised that the CEO was being stood aside as a consequence of the discussions and in particular, the company is installing new management," Mr Hunt said.

Healthcare Australia chairman Daren McKennay confirmed Mr Cartwright had agreed to step aside while the investigation takes place.

"While the review is being finalised, Healthcare Australia CEO Jason Cartwright has agreed to step aside from his role and an interim CEO with extensive experience in the health sector will be imminently appointed," Mr McKennay said in a statement.

"We will also further strengthen the Healthcare Australia management team with additional executive support."

READ MORE: Hunt backtracks, says doctor who gave two elderly patients a vaccine overdose was not trained

An investigation by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd found HCA to be at fault on two counts.

"A mistake was made, a human error, and a serious error, and, of course, we need to learn from these mistakes if they occur," Professor Kidd said.

"This error should not have happened and we apologise to the residents and their families and the carers at the facility for the distress that this has caused."

READ MORE: Queensland premier 'very upset' about vaccine bungle

The patients, a 94-year-old woman and an 88-year-old man, were given a dose of the vaccine thought to be four times the recommended amount.

While a potentially grave error, Mr Hunt said the dosage was not dissimilar to those given during clinical trials.

"Both patients are well. Neither is suffering any adverse effects. The woman will return home to her residential home in the facility after she's had lunch today," he said.

"That was the request of the family. The man will stay in hospital for no other reason other than he was actually admitted in preparation for elective surgery and an appropriate procedure unrelated to this."

READ MORE: Concerns deepen over vaccine rollout in Australia's aged care homes

Professor Kidd said HCA did not meet its contracted requirements with the government.

"This doctor should not have been permitted to carry out these vaccinations without having completed the required training," Professor Kidd said.

"This doctor should not have been permitted to carry out these vaccinations without proof of his completion of training being sighted by the company.

"And this doctor should not have been required to carry out these vaccinations as the sole registered health professional deployed by the company to this site."

HCA Australia has since checked the training requirements for all staff registered to administer the vaccine, and the company has been put on notice that a second breach of contract will see its role terminated.

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Almost 18,000 Aussies have been vaccinated

Almost 18,000 Australians have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

To date, across the states more than 17,500 vaccination doses have been administered.

A total of 71 aged care facilities have been completed, including 4715 residents.

There has been a 95 per cent take-up rate of the vaccine so far.

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Where you live in Australia can influence your life expectancy, a new study has revealed.

Research by Torrens University showed the suburbs and neighbourhoods where Australians have the longest and shortest life spans.

A suburb in Melbourne's south-east, Ashburton, and the areas of Unley and Parkside, south of Adelaide's CBD, took out joint first place for the highest median age at death in Australia, both sitting at 89 years.

The lowest median age at death among cities and their suburbs was Melbourne's CBD at 59 years, followed by the Forrestdale, Harrisdale, Piara Waters areas in Perth at 62 years.

The overall lowest median age at death nationwide was found in regional areas: Newman in Western Australia, the APY Lands in South Australia and remote Northern Territory communities.

READ MORE: Queensland to reopen border to Greater Melbourne on Saturday

The suburb comparisons revealed there were "significant disparities" in neighbourhoods, despite some being a similar distance from the CBD.

Professor John Glover, from the Public Health Information Development Unit (PHIDU) at Torrens University, said various factors influenced residents' lifespan.

"Variations in the median age at death between suburbs are impacted by many factors including socioeconomic disadvantage, as influenced by unemployment, education, housing and income," he said.

"Events like road traffic accidents among young people lower the median age, and the location of residential aged care facilities raise the median age."

READ MORE: Coles drops price of roast chickens to $9 in Victoria

However, socioeconomic disadvantage was a "strong influence" in life expectancy, Professor Glover said.

"Socioeconomic disadvantage is clearly evident in the pattern of potential years of life lost across our capital cities," he said.

"Regardless of variations between areas, I expect the data will place those areas with lower lifespans under the spotlight, and hope that social and health policymakers, agencies and providers will be informed by these data, investigate the causes and further consider the needs of people in these areas."

Ashburton resident Judith Cameron told 9News she was surprised her suburb came out in first place.

"I wouldn't have thought," she said.

"I thought there would have been other suburbs that would have been better than Ashburton."

Highest median age at death – Australian capital city

Ashburton (VIC) – 89 years

Unley/Parkside (SA) – 89 years

Castle Hill/Cherrybrook/Glenhaven (NSW) – 88 years

Lowest median age at death – Australian capital city

Melbourne CBD – 59 years

Forrestdale/Harrisdale/Piara Waters (WA) – 62 years

Driver/Gray/Moulden/Woodroffe (NT) – 62 years

Highest median age at death – regional Australia

Yackandandah (NSW) – 86.5 years

Grovedale (VIC), Mayfield/Warabrook/ Waratah/North Lambton (NSW), Clear Island Waters/Merrimac (QLD), Nuriootpa/Tanunda (SA) – 86 years

Lowest median age at death – regional Australia

Newman (WA) – 45 years

APY Lands (SA) – 53 years

Alice Springs – Remote (NT) – 54 years

LIVE UPDATES: Company behind vaccine overdoses having 'book thrown at them'

Highest median age capital city breakdown

MELBOURNE

Ashburton – 89 years

Brighton/Brighton East – 88 years

Camberwell/Surrey Hills/Canterbury – 88 years

SYDNEY

Castle Hill/Cherrybrook/Glenhaven – 88 years

Cromer/ Narrabeen/ Collaroy – 88 years

Gordon/Killara/Pymble – 88 years

BRISBANE

Centenary – 87 years

Chermside – 87 years

Enoggera/Keperra/Mitchelton – 86 years

ADELAIDE

Unley/Parkside – 89 years

Colonel Light Gardens/Mitcham – 87 years

Fulham/West Beach – 87 years

PERTH

Manning/Waterford – 87 years

Canning (north) – 86 years

Innaloo/Doubleview/Karrinyup/Gwelup/Carine – 86 years

HOBART

Mount Nelson/SandyBay/ South Hobart area – 86 years

New Town – 86 years

Bellerive/Geilston Bay/Howrah/Lindisfarne – 85 years

DARWIN

Casuarina area – 76 years

Inner Darwin – 70 years

Nightcliff area – 70 years

READ MORE: Brittany Higgins makes formal statement to police

Lowest median age capital city breakdown

MELBOURNE

Melbourne CBD – 59 years

Docklands/Southbank/West Melbourne – 66 years

Kinglake – 68 years

SYDNEY

Haymarket/The Rocks – 67 years

Homebush Bay/Silverwater – 68 years

Mount Druitt/North-West – 69 years

BRISBANE

Springfield Lakes – 57 years

New Chum/Redbank Plains – 63 years

Bellbird Park/Brookwater/Springfield – 64 years

ADELAIDE

Lewiston/Two Wells – 69 years

Adelaide – 69 years

One Tree Hill – 73 years

PERTH

Forrestdale/Harrisdale/Piara Waters – 62 years

Seville Grove – 65 years

Kwinana – 65 years

HOBART

Bridgewater/Gagebrook – 67 years

Rokeby – 71 years

Austins Ferry/Granton – 76 years

DARWIN

Driver/Gray/ Moulden/ Woodroffe – 62 years

Litchfield – 65 years

Marrara/Berrimah – 66 years