Anti-vax heartland sees surge of unvaccinated Covid patients in ICU

Byron Bay and surrounds have the lowest Covid vaccinations in the state and now all patients currently in ICU are unvaccinated, including an anti-vaccine protester.

All six patients in intensive care with Covid at Lismore Base hospital are unvaccinated, including an anti-vaccine campaigner who has spent three weeks on a ventilator fighting for her life.

The hospital in the anti-vax heartland has now opened up a third Covid ward, with 50 patients admitted.

“It is as we feared,” Dr Chris Ingall, from the hospital’s medical staff council, said.

At 83 per cent, vaccination rates in the Byron Shire are some of the lowest in the state.

“We are seeing an almost exclusively unvaccinated population in the hospital and exclusively unvaccinated in the intensive care ward at this point,” Dr Ingall said.

“We predicted this, we said there would be a tsunami here, everyone predicted it would sweep through the pockets of the unvaccinated.”

Helen Dean is currently fighting for life in ICU at Lismore Base Hospital.

Mullumbimby-based tarot card reader and reiki master Helen Dean, also known as Heeling, had joined local rallies to protest against vaccine mandates.

Ms Dean caught Covid just before Christmas and has been on a ventilator since Christmas Day. Friends have posted healing light and chanting ceremonies online.

On Saturday she was taken off life support but remains in ICU.

Helen Dean is a tarot card reader and reiki master.

Helen Dean at a vaccine mandate protest.

Mullumbimby-based Archibald-winning artist Craig Ruddy, who died on January 4 at age 53 from complications due to Covid-19, was also unvaccinated.

Nicqui Yazdi, who runs a pro-vaccine Facebook group in Mullumbimby, said it was well known that some people in the shire were having “catch Covid” parties.

“All of these cases are now starting to present. There are ‘let’s get Covid’ parties around here. People go to purposely get Covid,” she said.

The latest Covid data from NSW Health shows that from June to December last year, 106 fully vaccinated people were admitted to intensive care. But 1142 unvaccinated people were admitted to ICU.

The cost of ICU per patient per day is estimated to be $4375 a day, which equates to $4.9 million a day for unvaccinated patients and over $463,000 for the vaccinated per day.

Of the Covid deaths, 96 were vaccinated and 420 were unvaccinated.

Of all hospitalisations in the six month period, 2.4 per cent were vaccinated compared to 12.4 per cent unvaccinated and 8.5 per cent with one dose.

Anti-vaccination organisation Children’s Health Defense, run by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, has opened in Australia.

The stark figures come as multimillion-dollar US anti-vaccine outfit Children’s Health Defense, run by Robert F. Kennedy Junior, the nephew of former US president John Kennedy, opened an Australian chapter of the group.

“Our aim is to create a grassroots network of like-minded people all across Australia, so we are able to share information and knowledge far and wide, and mobilise groups of passionate Australians who share our vision for creating a better world for our children,” the group posted.

In a video posted on the site, Mr Kennedy pleads for donations.

CHD in the USA was identified as one of the “disinformation dozen” who are “responsible for almost two-thirds of anti-vaccine content circulating on social media platforms” according to an analysis by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate.

CHD has total assets close to $41 million ($30m US) with contributions and donations totally more than $13 million in 2019.

The group has sent out flyers to Australian parents and, in a PowerPoint presentation on its site, it perpetuates conspiracy theories, including that the TGA was “deliberately not reporting injuries and deaths”.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]