Australia's top doctors UNLEASH on 'scaremongering' Annastacia Palaszczuk for trying to derail Australia's vaccine rollout by telling under-40s to ignore PM's AstraZeneca advice – as her own health advisor is branded an 'anti-vaxxer'
Annastacia Palaszczuk has been slammed by Australia's largest medical bodies which accuse her of 'scaremongering' and undermining the revised national Covid vaccination rollout plan.
The Queensland Premier and her top medical advisor, Dr Jeannette Young, were compared to 'anti-vaxxers' after urging under 60s to avoid the AstraZeneca jab.
In an attempt to kickstart Australia's fledgling vaccine rollout, Scott Morrison announced anyone over 16 could immediately request the vaccine, which has been linked to incredibly rare incidents of blood clots.
But Ms Palaszczuk attacked the prime minister's move, with Dr Young saying she 'doesn't want an 18-year-old from Queensland dying from a clotting illness'.
The comments have provoked outrage in the medical community, with many saying their position on AstraZeneca risks further derailing the nation's vaccine progress.
Under 40s are now being told they can immediately book an appointment to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine - but this has been rubbished by the Queensland government (pictured, a woman walking in locked down Brisbane on Wednesday)
Annastacia Palaszczuk's Queensland government is facing a huge backlash over contradicting Scott Morrison's new advice that under 40s can book for the low-risk AstraZeneca vaccine if they want to
Charlotte Hespe, director of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners - one of the country's largest doctors' organisations - accused the Queensland government of using fear tactics.
'She is definitely scaremongering because she is putting it out there and saying "they can't have their own choice, I'm making a choice for them",' Dr Hespe told 2GB radio.
She said the use of a particular vaccine should be an individual choice and shouldn't be directed by politicians.
Australian Medical Association president Dr Omar Khorshid also supported Mr Morrison's move, saying he 'didn't have a problem with removing the restrictions on age that the Prime Minister's done'.
Locals walking in Brisbane during Brisbane's Covid lockdown on Wednesday with Queensland recording three new cases
In a letter to AMA members, he wrote that the Prime Minister's new position on AstraZeneca was 'reasonable' and would 'satisfy a desire in the community to be vaccinated as soon as possible'.
DR YOUNG VS REALITY
HER CLAIM:
Young people could die from the AstraZeneca jab - 'I don't want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got Covid, probably wouldn't die'.
THE TRUTH
After 36 million doses of AstraZeneca being given out in Australia, there have been just two deaths - with the patients aged 48 and 52.
You are far more likely to be struck by lightning, twice.
HER CLAIM:
Under 40s are more at risk from the clots - 'They are at increased risk of getting the rare clotting syndrome'.
THE TRUTH:
ATAGI say AstraZeneca is safe to use in adults 'for whom Pfizer is not available, the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks'
'The change merely removes the restrictions and allows all adult Australians access to the approved vaccine,' he wrote.
The change allows GPs to administer AstraZeneca, he added, 'if this is the patient preference, as long as the risks and benefits have been discussed' and there is 'informed consent'.
Queensland announced three new Covid cases on the first day of its snap three-day lockdown on Wednesday.
But in an extraordinary press conference, Ms Palaszczuk quickly turned her attention to attacking the Morrison government's new recommendations for AstraZeneca.
'There has been no national cabinet decision about providing AstraZeneca to the under 40s,' the Premier said.
'My message to Queenslanders today is please listen to Dr Young and listen to the health experts when it comes to the vaccine.
'At the moment, the advice is for people aged 40 to 59 to get Pfizer, and people 60 and over to get AstraZeneca.
'There has been no national cabinet decision about AstraZeneca being given to under 40s.'
'I do not want under 40s getting AstraZeneca,' Dr Young then reiterated.
'It is rare, but they are at increased risk of getting the rare clotting syndrome. We've seen up to 49 deaths in the UK from that syndrome.
'I don't want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got Covid, probably wouldn't die.
'We’ve had very few deaths due to Covid-19 in Australia in people under the age of 50.
'And wouldn’t it be terrible that our first 18-year-old in Queensland who dies related to this pandemic, died because of the vaccine.'
On Tuesday Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a major shakeup in Australia's vaccine rollout plan - anyone under the age of 60 can now approach their GP and request the AstraZeneca vaccine
Australians' slow uptake of vaccines so far has prompted a chance in the Covid vaccination strategy (pictured, testing in Bondi, the epicentre of Sydney's current outbreak)
In early June Ms Palaszczuk, 51, received the Pfizer vaccine despite advice at the time that over 50s should receive the AstraZeneca vaccine.
She cited her need to attend the Tokyo Olympics as part of Brisbane's bid for the Games in 2032 as the reason for waiting for the Pfizer dose. The AstraZeneca vaccine requires 12 weeks between doses, as opposed to Pfizer's 21-day top up.
Some commentators even compared Dr Young's stance to anti-vax campaigners because it could give a false impression that AstraZeneca is generally unsafe.
Ms Palazczuk went on to make another unsubstantiated claim on the ABC, saying the federal government was planning to open up 'mass vaccination hubs to administer AstraZeneca to the under 40s'.
The Morrison government denied the claim.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation said the estimated incidence of blood clotting for people aged between 30 and 39 was approximately 1.6 cases per 100,000 AstraZeneca doses.
What are the chances of dying from a blood clot after AstraZeneca?
One in 1.9 million people have died from a blood clot after AstraZeneca.
By comparison, Aussies have a one in 33 chance of dying if they catch Covid-19, a one in 12,000 chance of being struck by lightning and a one in 55 chance of winning the Oz Lotto.
For 18 to 29-year-olds the risk is 1.9 per 100,000 doses, but it's higher for people aged between 40-49 at 5 per 100,000.
That is a 0.005 per cent chance of a clot, an extremely small risk.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt and Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews jointly lashed Ms Palaszczuk over her criticism of the Federal Government's advice on AstraZeneca earlier on Wednesday.
In a forceful reply, Gold Coast MP Ms Andrews said Ms Palaszczuk and her deputy Steven Miles were attempting to distract from their failures of state-run hotel quarantine.
'The reason that we are in lockdown here, particularly in south-east Queensland, but also in parts of northern Queensland, are because of failures by the Palaszczuk Government,' she said.
Ms Andrews cited the Covid cases of the mine worker from Bendigo placed in a hotel quarantine room between two international travellers and the unvaccinated receptionist from the Prince Charles Hospital as evidence of her claims.
All of Queensland's new three local cases are linked as close contacts of existing cases, as the south-east of the state starts its three-day lockdown (pictured in Brisbane on Wednesday)
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said despite the claims of the Queensland government, medical advice had not changed and continued to be the 'guiding light' for the vaccine rollout
'Clearly what Annastacia Palaszczuk is doing is making sure ... she puts up a smokescreen to hide the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of quarantine that is administered and managed by the Queensland Government,' she said.
Mr Hunt said medical advice from ATAGI had not changed and continued to be the 'guiding light' for the vaccine rollout, despite the Queensland government's call for under 40s to ignore the federal Government and not take the AstraZeneca vaccine.
In the latest Covid development for the Sunshine State, two busy Virgin flights between Sydney and Brisbane were added to the growing list of exposure sites.
Public health teams have added two flights worked by an infectious Virgin crew member on Saturday June 26.
Public health teams have added two flights worked by an infectious Virgin crew member on Saturday June 26 that travelled between Sydney and Brisbane
A Newstead apartment building has also been added to the list of Queensland's high-risk sites after it was exposed to the virus on June 26
One of the flights is Virgin flight VA924 which left Brisbane at 8:05am and landed in Sydney at 9:26am.
The other flight that was exposed to Covid-19 is flight VA957 which left Sydney at 3:56pm and landed in Brisbane at 5:29pm.
It is believed the crew member worked on several flights while infectious.
Any passengers who were onboard these flights has been asked by health authorities to get a Covid test and isolate even after receiving a negative result.
A Newstead apartment building has also been added to the list of Queensland's high-risk sites after it was exposed to the virus on June 26.
All of Queensland's new three local cases are linked as close contacts of existing cases.
A man and his son play on Main Beach at the Gold Coast on Wednesday during south-east Queensland's lockdown
One is the brother of the woman who worked at Prince Charles Hospital and who was announced as a case on Tuesday.
Another is a close contact of the Portuguese restaurant cluster identified last week, who was already in quarantine.
A third one is a close contact of the Virgin crew member who flew to the Gold Coast, also last week.
Dr Young said on ABC Radio in North Queensland that the brother of the hospital worker had travelled with his sister and their family to Magnetic Island via Townsville.
She confirmed they commuted to Magnetic Island by barge and didn't go into the ferry terminal, reducing the risk of transmission on the island.
'Wouldn’t it be terrible that our first 18-year-old in Queensland who dies related to this pandemic, died because of the vaccine,' Dr Young (pictured on Wednesday) said
The ill-fated journey of the 19-year-old woman who sparked Queensland's three-day lockdown
The 19-year-old worked outside the Prince Charles Hospital's Covid clinic, completing shifts on Tuesday and Wednesday last week despite experiencing symptoms of the virus.
She travelled with her family from Brisbane to Townsville on Thursday, June 24, before visiting Magnetic Island until Sunday June 27 and then returning to Brisbane.
The woman had now been linked to 19 exposure sites. Newly added were visits to the Athlete's Foot, Rebel Sport and Country Road stores at Chermside shopping centre, and the Shaw Park Tennis Centre at Wooloowin on Monday, June 28.
The latest advice on Covid-19 vaccines in Australia
* Pfizer recommended for people aged 16 to 60
* AstraZeneca recommended for people aged over 60
* Age ranges based on relative risk between getting the AstraZeneca vaccine and developing blood clots known as thrombosis and thrombocytopenia syndrome
* Official expert medical advice does not stop someone under 60 from getting AstraZeneca jab if they want
* GPs can provide AstraZeneca to adults under 60 if Pfizer is not available, the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks for that person, and they make an informed choice
* Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who has had Pfizer, says no one under 60 should get AstraZeneca
* West Australian Premier Mark McGowan says people under 40 should not get AstraZeneca
* NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who has had two doses of AstraZeneca, says people should decide based on advice from their GP
* Prime Minister Scott Morrison says people should follow their GP's advice
* His government has provided GPs with a no-fault indemnity scheme and offered people Medicare cover for vaccine consultations
* Thousands of people under 60 have followed the PM's advice and booked in for AstraZeneca jabs with their GP
WHAT IS THE RISK FOR UNDER 60s?
* For 18-29s, the risk of a TTS blood clot is 1.9 per 100,000 AstraZeneca jabs
* For 30-39s, it is 1.6/100,000
* For 40-49s, it is 5/100,000
* For 50-59s it is 2.7/100,000
WHAT ARE THE SIDE-EFFECTS OF COVID-19 VACCINATION?
* Common side effects of vaccination include fatigue, headache, body aches and fever
* Severity of illness due to TTS (which has affected 64 Australians so far) ranges from mild blood clotting to fatal cases
* Half of TTS cases in Australia have been discharged from hospital
* One in four have been more serious and required treatment in intensive care, and two people have died