Coronavirus Australia: Top doctor calls for all restrictions on AstraZeneca vaccine to be scrapped

Australia has a ‘close to zero’ chance of eliminating the Delta variant of Covid and it must quickly vaccinate with the AstraZeneca jab, a top doctor warns. 

Professor Bruce Robinson, chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council, called for a rapid vaccine rollout in the face of snowballing outbreaks in Queensland and NSW.

Professor Robinson believes all restrictions on the AstraZeneca vaccine should be scrapped as there aren’t enough doses of Pfizer to go around. 

Bruce Robinson, the outgoing chairman of the National Health and Medical Research Council says the ATAGI ruling on the vaccine was ‘wrong’ and needs to be changed ‘ASAP’

The head of Australia’s top medical research organisation said the ruling by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation was ‘wrong’ and needs to be changed ‘ASAP’.

He is spearheading a ‘second opinion’ signed by some of the country’s top medical practitioners, recommending everybody get AstraZeneca.

‘This virus is spreading and there’s probably no stopping it,’ Professor Robinson told the Herald Sun. 

He explained the vaccine got a ‘really bad rap’ and the ATAGI advice was only appropriate for a time when Covid outbreaks were under control. 

The professor said he believed there was now a ‘groundswell of of medical opinion which feels ATAGI’s advice was wrong and that it needs to be publicly changed’. 

He said this would encourage more Australians to get jabbed as the highly contagious variant continues to spread through Sydney and now Queensland. 

‘The chance of eliminating this is close to zero — there are many people I have spoken to who share that view,’ he said.

‘We might suppress it but we will be really unlikely to eliminate it and that’s because we see people who are clearly infectious without knowing it and they’re out and about.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is now urging younger Sydneysiders to consider getting the AstraZeneca vaccine

‘They should make a statement ASAP because at the moment we can’t afford people to be hesitant about getting a vaccine.’

ATAGI recommended Pfizer as the ‘preferred’ option for people younger than 60. 

However, it changed its unofficial stance after the latest outbreak of Covid-19 began in Sydney on June 16.

The organisation now urges younger Sydneysiders to consider getting the AstraZeneca vaccine. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also vouched for a mass rollout of AstraZeneca, claiming recommendations from the ATAGI slowed inoculation rates. 

Professor Robinson’s dire warning comes as a record number of young Australians rolled up their sleeves for AstraZeneca in the past four weeks. 

More than 340,500 under 60s have received their jab with under 40s accounting for a staggering one third.

The professor’s dire warning comes as a record number of young Australians have rolled up their sleeves for AstraZeneca in the last four weeks

Pharmacies have also been running out of the AstraZeneca vaccine with demand outpacing supply, with national vaccination rates also seeing an upward shift

The massive uptick suggests a change in attitude to the AstraZeneca vaccine after its extremely rare blood clotting side effect fuelled hesitancy across the country.

Pharmacies are finally running out of the AstraZeneca vaccine with demand outpacing supply, with national vaccination rates also seeing an upward shift. 

Around 39.46 per cent of Australians have received their first dose while 17.73 per cent have been fully vaccinated.

More than 78 per cent of over 70s have received their first dose while 39.5 per cent have received both.

Around 64.13 per cent of over 50s have received one dose, while 24.34 per cent are fully vaccinated.