‘The only winners out of today are the anti-vaxxers’: Chris Uhlmann takes aim at Queensland government over AstraZeneca
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Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has attacked the federal government over the shambolic vaccine rollout
The Federal Government is responsible for quarantine and the supply of the vaccine and they have let the population of Australia down. We have had a magical moment here, a magical moment in time we are never going to get back where with could have had the entire population vaccinated before the virus has arrived in this way. Now I am very concerned that may have left it too late.
She also defended her and Jeannette Young’s stance on the AstraZeneca vaccine.
When asked about the unvaccinated hopsital receptionist working outside a COVID warnd- Queensland sends all postivie people to hospital even if they are not sick-
Earlier, Nine News Political Editor Chris Uhlmann took aim at Palaszczuk and Young’s stance on the vaccine.
Today the pair told a press conference that people under 40 should not get that vaccine, despite it being made available to younger Australians this week.
It sparked chaos and confusion between state leaders, health professionals and the public.
Watch the full video above.
“If they wanted to shift blame for their lockdown onto the Prime Minister there was plenty of fertile ground on which to work.
“They could say the vaccine rollout is too slow, which is true.
“They could flog Scott Morrison for bad communication with doctors, or for his slow conversion to the idea of purpose-built quarantine.
“But they didn’t do that.
“Instead, they attacked the quality of a vaccine that we desperately need to dig our way out of this prison.
“They played up the vanishingly small chance of dying from AstraZeneca and became the latest loud voices adding to fear and confusion in the community.
“It was breathtaking and the only winners out of today are the anti-vaxxers.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s call to extend eligibility for the AstraZeneca vaccine for anybody aged over 18 prompted alarm in some quarters.
Advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), as the government has acknowledged, has not changed, and the AstraZeneca vaccine continues to be recommended for use by over-60s only.
Ms Palaszczuk said National Cabinet did not make the decision to widen the availability of AstraZeneca to under-40s.
“National Cabinet did not make that decision,” she said at her COVID-19 media briefing today.
“I like to ask the prime minister, did his cabinet make that decision?”
She called into question whether it was wise for the prime minister to allow younger Australians to get AstraZeneca.
“We want Queenslanders to get vaccinated,” she said.
“But there is some clear guidelines that have been put in place by the chief health officer, ATAGI, and the AMA.”
She urged Queenslanders to listen to the advice of health experts, including Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young.
Dr Young was clear in her thoughts on the prime minister’s decision to allow younger Australians to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“I do not want under-40s to get AstraZeneca,” she said.
“I don’t want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got COVID, probably wouldn’t die.”