Q+A: Should Olympic athletes be vaccinated first?

Should Australia prioritise vaccinating a contingent of some 2500 Olympic athletes and administrators?

Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie on Thursday's Q+A on ABC TV.

Whether gender can be declared in schools and why it appears that only female politicians step down when caught in political scandals were discussed on Thursday night’s Q+A on ABC TV. One question, however, seemed to unite the panel.

Nationals Senate leader Bridget McKenzie, drag queen Shane Gilberto Jenek (who performs as Courtney Act), Labor health and ageing spokesman Mark Butler, communications consultant Parnell McGuiness and Lowy Institute director of the power and diplomacy program Herve Lemahieu seemed to share similar views on whether Olympic athletes should be vaccinated first.

Mr Lemahieu said while Japan should field some of the responsibility of athlete protection, so should Australia.

“Look, I don’t see why we can’t walk and chew gum at the same time,” Mr Lemahieu said.

“I don’t know why we have had as many delays on the vaccine rollout, but I also understand that if you’re going to send a contingent of 2500 athletes to represent Australia, you have some sort of responsibility towards their welfare and safety as well.”

Act said she believed many Australians are at their wit’s end with the rollout.

“It doesn‘t make sense that these people haven’t been vaccinated yet,” Act said.

For Senator McKenzie, the Olympics were about a return to pre-COVID-19 times.

“We’re looking forward to life getting back to normal. I think the Olympics being staged is sort of part of that normalcy,” Senator McKenzie said.

“I think, particularly for us in Australia, we find that inspirational. But I think there is a challenge with the sense that the athletes are jumping the queue, shall we say, in terms of getting vaccinations when there are vulnerable people in our communities that are still waiting.”

Mr Butler made note of the government’s slow rollout in aged care homes before joining the crowd.

“More than two-thirds of aged care residents aren’t vaccinated, 90 per cent of aged care workers, 99 per cent of disability residents are not fully vaccinated. That’s what I’m focused on,” Mr Butler said.

“If I thought the Olympics process was going to derogate from that job, I would not support it.

“But I do think we can do both,” he said.

“The AOC has a clear obligation to make sure proper arrangements are in place that quarantine arrangements are going to be properly put in place for them, properly supported by the government, but I think Australians do want to see a group of young people who have spent their lives preparing for this Olympics compete if at all possible.”