30 Jul 2021
Statement regarding the Doherty Institute modelling
The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) understands the intense interest around the modelling commissioned by the Commonwealth Government to advise on the National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response.
Modelling for public health is an iterative process that provides measured advice to policy makers.
Our process, led by the Doherty Institute’s Director of Epidemiology, University of Melbourne Professor Jodie McVernon, involves collaborative work conducted by multiple teams with specific expertise in infectious diseases modelling across six institutes and universities from around Australia, including the University of Melbourne (including the Doherty Institute), the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Monash University, Curtin University, Telethon Kids Institute and University of New South Wales.
This nationally distributed team has been actively engaged in supporting decision making at Commonwealth level through Australia’s COVID-19 response including ongoing assessment of the nature of our local epidemic.
The Doherty Institute provides the evidence in an unbiased way – we do not make the policy decisions. It is the role of the Commonwealth Government to interpret the evidence, and once that process has taken place, we can present our modelling to the public to explain what underpinned that advice.