Annastacia Palaszczuk, 51, FINALLY reveals when she will get the Covid-19 vaccine – but she’s staying tight lipped about which jab she’ll receive
- Annastacia Palaszczuk is only state premier over 50 not to get Covid vaccine
- She has revealed she will take one of the jabs in ‘around two weeks’ time’
- Ordinary Aussies in her age-group are only eligible for the AstraZeneca jab
- But Ms Palaszczuk said she may he advised to have Pfizer to visit Tokyo
Annastacia Palaszczuk is pictured having a flu shot on Monday, May 24
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and chief health officer Jeannette Young have revealed they will get vaccinated against Covid-19 in ‘around two weeks’ after medical groups accused them of failing to set an example.
Dr Young, 57, will get the AstraZeneca jab but Ms Palaszczuk, 51, will talk to her GP about whether to get Pfizer.
Ordinary Australians over 50 are only eligible for the AstraZeneca vaccine and are being urged to get jabbed now rather than waiting until Pfizer is available at the end of the year.
Australians under 50, who are less vulnerable to Covid-19, are advised by medical experts to have the Pfizer jab when it’s available because of a small risk of blood clots linked to AstraZeneca.
As of Thursday, there have been 24 cases of the clotting known as thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome among 2.1 million people jabbed with AstraZeneca.
Asked on Monday why she needed to talk to her GP, Ms Palaszczuk said she was ‘happy with either’ vaccine and did not have any health concerns with AstraZeneca – but said she may be advised to have Pfizer in order to visit the Tokyo Olympics in July.
‘If I don’t need to go to Tokyo, I’ll get AstraZeneca. If I do need to go I’ll look at the health advice there,’ she said.
‘I think everyone should go and talk to their GP. If anyone does have any concerns out there please go and sit down… We want to see all Queenslanders get vaccinated,’ the premier added.
Dr Young (left having a flu shot on Monday), 57, will get the AstraZeneca jab but Ms Palaszczuk, 51, will talk to her GP about whether to get Pfizer
Ms Palaszczuk is the only state premier who still hasn’t had a Covid-19 vaccine, apart from Victorian acting leader James Merlino who is under 50.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, 50, had her AstraZeneca jab more than two months ago, on March 10.
Ms Palaszczuk has faced pressure from medical groups to get the jab to set an example to Queenslanders amid fears about vaccine hesitancy.
Australian Medical Association Queensland president Professor Chris Perry said prominent Queenslanders should lead by example and not worry about jumping the queue.
‘Well the queue is now looking at them and expecting them to get the vaccine,’ he said.
‘It’s high time people stepped up, prominent people in our political sphere, prominent celebrities, even though they’re sometimes a bit vacuous in the head, sporting identities, and get this damned vaccine now.’
On Monday Ms Palaszczuk and Dr Young had their flu shots.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian (pictured left) received the AstraZeneca vaccine at St George Hospital in Kogarah, Sydney on March 10 this year