Phelps’ partner’s vaccine post on Hunt deleted

The wife of City of Sydney councillor Kerryn Phelps has removed a Facebook post questioning whether a bacterial infection contracted by Health Minister Greg Hunt was connected to him ­receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Kerryn Phelps and Jackie Stricker-Phelps at the Australian Women‘s Weekly Women of the Future Awards. Picture: Dylan Robinson

The wife of City of Sydney councillor Kerryn Phelps has removed a Facebook post questioning whether a bacterial infection contracted by Health Minister Greg Hunt was connected to him ­receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

Jackie Stricker-Phelps on Wednesday called for more information about the side effects of vaccines, saying it was “very ­coincidental” Mr Hunt had developed the infection in the days following his jab.

“I think we need more information about these vaccines,” she wrote in the now-deleted post. “Very coincidental that Greg Hunt has cellulitis post-vaccine. I would be interested to know if the cellulitis is in the arm he had the vaccine in.”

Dr Phelps, who is a GP and the former federal member for Wentworth, told The Australian on Wednesday she accepted there was no link between Mr Hunt’s leg infection and his vaccination.

However, she defended her partner’s post, saying “all concerns are valid”, especially as Ms Stricker-Phelps suffers from allergies. “I think all concerns are valid and they need to be discussed; certainly it’s a discussion we have in our household,” she said.

“Jackie has a history of allergies so these are conversations we will be having on an individual basis with her specialist.”

Dr Phelps said it was important all Australians were fully informed and asked detailed questions of their GPs.

She said those who suffer from anaphylaxis would likely need individualised advice when it came to vaccinations.

“People with a history of allergies or anaphylaxis may become anxious and will need to have a detailed discussion with their GP,” she said. “That’ll certainly be the case with Jackie.

“But for the vast majority of people in the population — they will have the vaccine without ­significant adverse reaction.” Mr Hunt received the AstraZeneca jab on Sunday alongside former prime minister Julia Gillard in a bid to counter vaccine hesitancy, but was admitted to hospital on Tuesday after contracting an infection.

“Overnight, testing confirmed Minister Hunt’s diagnosis to be cellulitis, a bacterial infection in his leg,” his office said.

“The minister is improving and will be discharged in the coming days and expects to be back at work next week.”

However, his admission to hospital sparked concern that confidence in the vaccine could be undermined.

Scott Morrison on Wednesday moved to assure the public that he was “certain” the sudden hospitalisation was not linked to the ­vaccine.

Dr Phelps, who seized the seat of Wentworth as an independent after Malcolm Turnbull was ousted as prime minister, will challenge City of Sydney mayor Clover Moore‘s 17-year reign at the council elections in September.