Top doctor urges Australians to be ‘realistic’ about overseas vaccine deaths because they were ‘elderly people who were likely to die anyway’
- A public health expert has called on Australians to be ‘realistic’ about vaccines
- Epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely, said there may be some side effects
- But he is urging Australians to get the jab as a national ad campaign is launched
- In Norway 33 elderly patients died after receiving a coronavirus vaccination
A top public health specialist has warned Australians to be ‘realistic’ about the supposed health risks of coronavirus vaccines.
Epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely, said it was possible there may be some side effects from the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines on rare occasions but it’s important for Australians roll up their sleeves.
He said the government will need to offer ‘a lot of reassurance and a lot of realism’ after 33 patients in Scandinavia died after getting the jab.
‘The situation in Norway, that was probably just elderly people that were likely to succumb anyway because they’re late in their life,’ Prof Blakey told ABC.
A top public health specialist has warned Australians to be ‘more realistic’ about the roll out of coronavirus vaccines as a public ad campaign is launched on Wednesday. Pictured: A woman receives the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine Hungary
‘But honesty really matters here as well as promoting it. There are going to be side effects from time to time.’
The Norwegian Medicines Agency said after the deaths earlier this month that everyone who received the Pfizer vaccine was aged over 75 and had serious underlying illnesses.
Their deaths stoked vaccine anxieties and conspiracy theories, but the agency’s medical director Steinar Madsen said there was no need to be alarmed.
‘Clearly Covid is far more dangerous to most patients than vaccination,’ he told Bloomberg.
The rollout of Covid vaccines in Australia will underway from mid-February.
To get Australians on board the government launched a $23.9 million advertising campaign set to hit TV screens on Wednesday.
Prof Blakely, said recent modelling suggests the uptake of the AstraZeneca (pictured left) and Pfizer vaccine (pictured right) will be about 80 per cent in Australia
‘We need to be very transparent and provide the information they are looking for to have confidence in the vaccine program that we are about to start,’ Professor McMillan told the Today show.
‘We know that people, if provided the right information, will make the choice that is best for them. That is our intent here, to provide the information so people can make a decision for themselves.’
Prof Blakely said recent modelling suggests the uptake of the vaccine will be about 80 per cent, but could be even higher.
‘I hope it would be high and I expect it could be above 80 per cent, maybe even 90 per cent, but we’ll just have to wait and see,’ he said.
Epidemiologist Professor Tony Blakely, said it’s possible there may be some side effects from the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines on rare occasions but it’s important for Australians roll up their sleeves. Pictured: A woman receives the Covid Jab in US
