Why the government's advice on the AstraZeneca jab is a 'baffling public health disaster' that made Australians hesitant to get vaccinated despite 14million being forced into draconian lockdowns

Vaccine hesitancy is still high despite more than 14million Australians still being in lockdown with an epidemiologist describing the campaign against AstraZeneca as a 'baffling public health disaster'.

An Essential Media poll found 41 per cent of those delaying their first vaccine shot were waiting for more Pfizer doses to be more readily available from September, following four deaths from the AstraZeneca jab.

While Australia has plentiful supplies of AstraZeneca, just 14.1 per cent of Australians over 16 were fully vaccinated against Covid, as of July 19, despite the Indian Delta strain being more contagious, Department of Health data showed.

That is well below the herd immunity level of more than 80 per cent needed or the 70 per cent figure Prime Minister Scott Morrison is advocating to avoid more lockdowns. 

 

Little more than a third or 35.7 per cent of people had received one dose.

University of New South Wales epidemiologist Greg Dore said 'the campaign to undermine AstraZeneca' was to blame for vaccine hesitancy despite it being 'highly effective, safe'. 

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Vaccine hesitancy is still high despite more than 14million Australians still being in lockdown with an epidemiologist describing the campaign against AstraZeneca as a 'baffling public health disaster'. An Essential Media poll found 41 per cent of those delaying their first vaccine shot were waiting for more Pfizer doses (pictured is Kelly Nankivell receiving a Pfizer jab in Sydney) to be more readily available from September, following four deaths from the AstraZeneca jab

'We'll look back at that as one of the most baffling public health disasters,' he told Sydney radio 2GB's Ben Fordham.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the lockdown would be unlikely to end on July 30 until cases of people being infectious in the community was 'zero or close to zero.' 

The state had 110 cases overnight with 43 infectious in the community.

But Professor Dore said the elimination strategy 'may not be feasible', with the Delta strain much more contagious.

'To be completely dogmatic about something is the wrong way to go,' he said.

State Health Minister Brad Hazzard expressed his frustration at insufficient supplies of Pfizer and the lack of doctors willing to administer AstraZeneca, which is deemed safe for the elderly.

'There's plenty of of AstraZeneca around. In terms of hesitancy around vaccine, if you're over 60 if you get Covid you have a one in 200 chance of dying; if you're over 50, you have a one in 500 chance of dying.

'It's much more effective that you would get the vaccine and make sure you avoid those risks.' 

The risk of death from AstraZeneca stands at one in 2.5million with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation rating the chance of an extremely rare blood clot as less than three in 100,000. 

ATAGI has kept changing its position on AstraZeneca, in June recommending those under 60 receive Pfizer instead of AstraZeneca.

Two months earlier, it had recommended Pfizer over AstraZeneca for those under 50, just days before a 48-year-old diabetic woman from the Central Coast, north of Sydney, died of a blood clot five days after taking AstraZeneca.

On Wednesday, Mr Morrison slammed the government agency's advice.

University of New South Wales epidemiologist Greg Dore said 'the campaign to undermine AstraZeneca' was to blame for vaccine hesitancy despite it being 'highly effective, safe'

'The ATAGI advice obviously on AstraZeneca was a big problem,' he told Adelaide radio FiveAA's David Penberthy and Will Goodings.

He conceded Australia needed to have a much higher vaccination rate before lockdowns ended.

'I mean, right now, there was no, there was under no plan was there any plan that said we'd be at 65 per cent, 70 per cent vaccination rates in this country, at no plan,' Mr Morrison said.

'There was no suggestion of that. Australia was always going to be in the suppression phase this year.'

On June 28, two days after Sydney went into lockdown, Mr Morrison announced doctors would be indemnified if they administered AstraZeneca and their patient had an adverse reaction.  

Three weeks after the  belated decision, more than 14million Australians are in lockdown in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, along with the New South Wales Central West town of Orange, which will have the same restrictions as the satellite cities of Wollongong, the Central Coast and the Blue Mountains. 

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the lockdown would be unlikely to end on July 30 until cases of people being infectious in the community was 'zero or close to zero.' The state had 110 cases overnight with 43 infectious in the community. But Professor Dore said the elimination strategy 'may not be feasible', with the Delta strain much more contagious

The Essential Media poll, taken on July 19, found that of those 600 people delaying their vaccine, 41 per cent were waiting for Pfizer while another 29 per cent wanted to see how other people reacted to a Covid jab.

Almost half or 47 per cent in the 18 to 34 age group were waiting for Pfizer. 

The broader poll of 1,100 people found 27 per cent wanted to get vaccinated, but not straight away, down from 42 per cent on May 10.