Karl Stefanovic has had enough of vaccines as Dr Nick Coatsworth issues a warning

One of Australia’s top doctors has pleaded with Karl Stefanovic to get his flu shot after the breakfast host claimed he’s had his ‘fill of vaccines’.

Ex-deputy chief medical officer Dr Nick Coatsworth on Thursday morning urged Australians to get their annual influenza booster ahead of the flu season this winter.

‘It’s hard to predict if it will be a good or a bad season,’ he told the Today show. 

‘The best thing to do, if your immune memory is not so good, is to give it a boost with a vaccine from the age of six months of age and older.’

But the breakfast host admitted to feeling fatigued about vaccinations after repeatedly rolling his sleeve up to get immunised against Covid-19.

Dr Nick Coatsworth said Stefanovic’s vaccine fatigue was understandable, but urged Australians to get their annual booster ahead of the upcoming flu season this winter

‘I’m making this revelation on national TV – you can say whatever you want but I’ve had my fill of vaccines. I know it’s irresponsible and I shouldn’t be saying it but I don’t want it anymore,’ Stefanovic said.

Dr Coatsworth said he understood the 47-year-old’s vaccine fatigue and the urge to ‘switch off’ government medical advice for a while.

‘I just want to remind people flu is an annual thing,’ the doctor said. 

‘While we have seen how devastating Covid is as a respiratory virus, what it needs to elevate in people’s minds is just how devastating influenza can be across all age groups – from children all the way through to the most elderly in our society.

‘We do have a vaccine [for the flu]. I take it every year as a health care professional. It’s very safe and effective.’

Stefanovic’s co-host Sarah Abo then joked executives would be ‘booking Karl in for his flu jab after the segment’. 

Dr Coatsworth has been an outspoken critic of over-reaching government Covid restrictions since resigning as Australian deputy chief medical officer in October 2020.

Stefanovic said he’s had his ‘fill of vaccines’. ‘I don’t want anymore,’ the co-host (left) told Dr Coatsworth

Earlier this month, he called on doctors to allow visitors into hospitals in spite of restrictions after a family-of-five was stopped from seeing their terminally ill mother.

Jo Gittos, 47, has been given just three months to live but she is not allowed to accept visitors after all public hospitals in were placed on ‘red alert’.

Dr Coatsworth urged doctors to ‘manage’ the restriction and make their own decisions on who is allowed to step foot in the hospital. 

Health authorities are looking at rolling out fourth doses of the coronavirus vaccine. Pictured is a dose being administered in Sydney

‘This happened to me one of the weekends I was exec on call at my hospital,’ he wrote. ‘You know what you do?

‘You let the kids in. It’s not a hard decision. Rules can be “managed” safely at a local level.’

His warning on Thursday came as health authorities look at dual tests as a way to check for flu and Covid – as well as fourth doses of the coronavirus vaccine.

The dual Covid-flu tests are of interest particularly in terms of elderly and frail people having significant respiratory symptoms.

Knowing whether the person has flu or Covid will ensure they get the appropriate treatment.

A final plan would require the nod from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation giving approval. 

Dr Nick Coatsworth earlier this month called on doctors to allow visitors into hospitals in spite of restrictions after a family-of-five was stopped from seeing their terminally ill mother

A federal health department spokeswoman said ATAGI was constantly examining vaccine data.

‘ATAGI continues to monitor evidence emerging from medical research on the effectiveness of the Covid vaccines both locally and internationally’ the spokeswoman said.

‘ATAGI will update its advice and recommendations accordingly.’

Meanwhile, more than 11.4 million booster doses have been administered across the country, or more than 63 per cent of the eligible population aged 16 and over.

Ahead of its hard border reopening to the rest of the country this week, Western Australia registered its highest daily total of Covid-19 cases, with 1140 new infections.