Michael Kidd sensationally rebukes QLD CHO Jeannette Young

Australia’s acting chief medical officer Michael Kidd has sensationally rebuked QLD chief health officer Jeannette Young.

Australia’s acting chief medical officer Michael Kidd has sensationally rebuked Queensland’s chief health officer Jeannette Young and urged all Queenslanders to strongly consider getting the AstraZeneca vaccine, warning the outbreak now means the benefits outweigh the rare risk of blood clots.

“The benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine AstraZeneca are greater than the risk of the rare side effects occurring, in all age groups,” Prof Kidd said.

“What we have is 11 local government areas in southeast Queensland are a Commonwealth hotspot, therefore this meets the definition of a large outbreak.”

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd during a press conference in Canberra on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Prof Kidd’s remarks were echoed by Australian Medical Association vice president Chris Moy, who said Dr Young’s advice was “inappropriate”.

“My concern is advice that is given in a way that looks like a command can significantly reduce confidence in a vaccine that has been very effective,” he said.

“On the one hand she has concerns about a very tiny risk of doing something – which is giving the vaccine – but there’s also a massive risk in not doing something.

“If there’s an outbreak and people aren’t vaccinated, you’ve seen what is happening in Sydney at the moment and the number of people who are in hospital.”

QLD’S CHO RUBBISHES JAB THAT COULD GIVE US FREEDOM

Call it a tale of two health officers.

Despite rising case numbers and an extended lockdown in southeast Queensland, the Sunshine State’s chief health officer has once again rubbished the AstraZeneca vaccine that authorities say is our key to freedom.

At the same time, NSW’s chief health officer Kerry Chant, backed up by Premier Gladys Berejiklian, once again made a push for young people to go out, talk to their GPs, and get the jab.

Rubbished AZ … Queensland CHO Jeannette Young at today’s press conference in Brisbane. PICTURE: Brad Fleet

Speaking to her state at a 10am press conference, Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young once again said that she didn’t want young people to take the AstraZeneca vaccine, even though ATAGI’s advice has changed to say that the jab was open to everyone consistent with the advice of their GPs, and a major study out of Spain found it had a “similar” risk profile to Pfizer.

Pressed by a reporter, Dr Young said: “I said I didn’t want 18-year-olds to have AstraZeneca. And I still don’t.”

“Even now?” she was pressed.

“Even now,” she responded, adding that 60 should be the cut off age.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant gets her second AstraZeneca vaccination. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

An hour later in NSW, Dr Chant and Ms Berejiklian made a very different pitch for people of all ages to get the jab as case numbers remained in the triple digits.

Asked about Dr Young’s comments, Dr Chant said: “My view is that we follow the ATAGI advice and ATAGI has looked at risk benefits. The advice is for people to have the discussion about the risks and benefits.

“Everyone has got their personal considerations. They live in different parts of the city. Their risk is different and so for me, it is around informed consent,” she said.

Path to freedom … the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Ms Berejiklian backed the comments up, saying that as far as ATAGI and residents of Greater Sydney were concerned, “All adults can come forward and get the AstraZeneca vaccine.”

Dr Young has been accused of talking down the AstraZeneca vaccine on numerous occasions, potentially throwing off the country’s ability to move onto the next phases of the reopening plan flagged by the Prime Minister last Friday.

In June, she kiboshed the AstraZeneca jab for young people, saying, “I don’t want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got Covid, probably wouldn’t die.”

Originally published as Michael Kidd sensationally rebukes QLD CHO Jeannette Young