Melbourne doctor takes aim at health officials ‘politicising’ COVID-19 vaccination

A Melbourne GP has slammed politicians and health officials for “politicising” COVID-19 vaccination.

Earlier this week, Scott Morrison said people under 60 can get the AstraZeneca jab after consulting their doctor.

ATAGI advice allows the vaccine to be given to all adults, but indicates Pfizer is the preferred vaccine for under 60s.

Several health officials and politicians across the country have come out and vocally opposed allowing younger people to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“I don’t want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got Covid, probably wouldn’t die,” Queensland’s chief health officer, Dr Jeannette Young, said at a press conference yesterday.

Melbourne GP, Dr Mary Anne Lancaster, hit out at Dr Young for her comments on AstraZeneca.

“I’d be interested to know whether she actually tells all women not to have the oral contraceptive pill because actually we’ve got more chance of getting clots on the oral contraceptive pill than we have from the AstraZeneca vaccine,” she told Stephen Quartermain and Emily Power, filling in for Ross and Russel.

Dr Lancaster says the “whole COVID thing has been politicised”.

She says the AstraZeneca vaccine carries a very small risk, which people should consider in the same way they’d consider the risk of flying, or riding a bike, or taking any medication.

“You’ve got a one-in-100,000 chance of dying while running!,” Dr Lancaster said.

“I tell them that as long as they acknowledge the risk, like they do with everything else … I’m prepared to go ahead and vaccinate them. They’re entitled to make that choice.

“You have to look at … the benefits of vaccinating.”

Dr Lancaster has had the AstraZeneca vaccine, and so has her 23-year-old daughter.

“My daughter who is intellectually disabled, she’s 23, we wanted her vaccinated as fast as possible,” she said.

Press PLAY below to hear more of what Dr Lancaster thinks about the way politicians and health officials have dealt with the vaccine rollout