Paul Dimattina left gravely ill after booster shot reaction

Former footy star Paul Dimattina is in intensive care after becoming gravely ill from a suspected reaction to a booster shot, then catching Covid.

Former footy player Paul Dimattina is in intensive care after a suspected reaction to a Pfizer booster shot.

The Western Bulldogs midfielder, who is battling myasthenia gravis and has been receiving chemotherapy, has been in hospital for several days.

He told the Herald Sun he had a reaction to the booster jab but then contracted Covid.

“I didn’t have any symptoms then bang,” Dimattina said in a message from his hospital bed.

“I had a reaction to the booster jab but I’ve also now got Covid. I’m fighting with everything I got to get better.”

Dimattina in action for the Bulldogs in 2003.

Dimattina outside Lamaro’s Hotel. Picture: Alex Coppel.

He became gravely ill on Thursday and was placed in intensive care.

He is now texting friends and recovering, but is expected to remain in hospital for at least another week.

Underlying health issues and auto-immune problems related to his myasthenia gravis are being blamed for the negative reaction.

Dimattina, a 131 game AFL veteran, owns South Melbourne’s Lamaro’s Hotel and has been highly critical of the government’s pandemic response.

He has been particularly critical of the lack of support for businesses, and said ongoing lockdowns and restrictions had decimated his business.

Sources said he was triple-vaxxed and was actively weighing up a potential run for state parliament.

Dimattina was sounded out by the Liberal Party in July about potentially standing as a candidate at the 2022 state election.

But he has since helped form a new centrist political outfit, the Victorians Party, which is hoping to take on both Labor and the Liberal Party next year.