The Voice judge Guy Sebastian removes post supporting #vaxthenation

Guy Sebastian has clarified his stance on vaccination after removing a post supporting a vaccine campaign.

Guy Sebastian has clarified his stance on vaccination, claiming he supports the music industry rallying to get itself back up and running.

The celebrated pop singer became embroiled in a war of words after removing a post supporting the music industry campaign #vaxthenation and stop the interruptions, encouraging Australians to get vaccinated.

Later the 39-year-old, who is double vaccinated, apologised to fans for the way his own post was worded, saying “that was not communicated with love or compassion, which I feel is what is needed when it comes to addressing things like vaccinations”.

Guy Sebastian on The Voice

Guy Sebastian in a video shared online.

“There is no confusion, I made the personal decision to be double vaccinated,” Sebastian said in a statement issued to The Daily Telegraph.

“I support the music industry initiatives to revive our industry, however, I personally don’t believe it is my place to deal in absolutes to tell people what to do in regards to their personal health choices. We need to remember to communicate with empathy and understanding. This has always been my goal.”

The Vax The Nation campaign has been supported by a raft of Australia’s top music talent including Bernard Fanning, Amy Shark, Paul Kelly and the Hilltop Hoods.

“It is important to consider that there are people in unique medical circumstances, including people in my own industry, and that having compassion towards them does not turn you into an anti-vaxxer,” Sebastian told the Telegraph.

“I am not against the campaign. I put my name to it. I would just personally, when posting about it, I want to make sure I am not excluding the people that are facing genuine circumstances that they have to consider when it comes to vaccinations.”

Sebastian’s original post yesterday was a tile image of the campaign. Late last night, he shared a candid video clarifying his position.

“Hello everybody, I just wanted to jump on here just to clear something up,” he said in the video shot in his Sydney home.

Keith Urban, Rita Ora, Jessica Mauboy and Guy Sebastian on The Voice.

“I am sure that today some of you might have seen an industry call out with the best of intentions for our live music industry, which has been absolutely decimated, trying to find a pathway forward so that we can all assemble together again,” he said.

“I have always done everything that I can to support my industry but the campaign was posted to my page without my direct involvement and while I like everybody else in my industry, I want things to get going again, it is not my role to communicate in the way that that post was communicating.

“I would never ever tell people what to do when it comes to their personal health choices. I am very sensitive of it, not only on a public level, but even in my personal life with people who have circumstances that they have to consider when making these choices.

“So I just want to say I am really sorry, it was not a post that communicated with love or compassion, which I feel is what is needed when it comes to addressing things like vaccinations.”

Talkback radio host Ray Hadley criticised Sebastian for his post.

“Get the splinters out of your arse, get off the fence,” the 2GB mornings host said on air. “Grow a set, Guy … you’re better than that.”

Sebastian called in to Hadley’s show with both men stating they were disappointed with each other.

“I have been very clear on my stance personally, I am pro vax but I am saying that there are genuinely people and many of your listeners know them who don’t fall into conspiracy theory,” he said.

“I am against things that are ill informed but if your doctor has said that you have a certain condition that is something that you have to consider that puts you in a high risk category, then we have to follow the advice of our medical professionals.”

During her daily Covid update Premier Gladys Berejiklian said:

“Look, it’s a democracy and people have views.

“You heard Dr Chant and myself talk about the importance of getting vaccinated and we need to rely on the health experts at this time.

“We don’t want to see anyone end up in intensive care, anyone lose loved once because people aren’t getting vaccinated.”