The video was released by Australian authorities on Sunday, showing a young woman gasping for air while connected to a respirator in a hospital bed.
At the end of the video, the image of the woman is replaced with a message to Australia’s young people:
– Covid-19 can affect anyone … Book a vaccination appointment.
– The video has made several Australians close their eyes. Photo: Screenshot
–
The ad is currently only shown in Sydney, which after a major outbreak of the delta variant is in its third week of shutdown.
– Completely inappropriate
The video is creating reactions in Australia, where people under the age of 40 will not have access to vaccines until towards the end of the year. Several young people feel identified as scapegoats in the video, and point out that they have not been vaccinated because they do not have access to vaccines.
Why are we targeting young people who can’t even get the recommended vaccine? Shouldn’t we be targeting the rising rate of vaccine hesitancy in over-55s? Why is it always young people being blamed?
— Darren Levin (@darren_levin) July 11, 2021
–
– It is completely inappropriate to send an advertisement like this when Australians in this age group are still waiting for the pissed off vaccines, writes journalist Hugh Riminton on Twitter.
He is supported by Bill Bowtell, Professor of Strategic Health at the University of New South Wales. The professor demands that the advertisement be taken off the air immediately.
– Today, a young girl with coronary heart disease in Sydney, about the same age as the actress in this commercial, is on a respirator while fighting for her life, the professor says according to News.com.au.
– This is insensitive and will only upset her family and friends. There are mistakes in every possible way, thunders Bowtell.
Defends the message
The head of the health authorities, Paul Kelly, says they wanted the advertisement to be shocking, to “emphasize the importance” of the need to stay at home, be tested and book a vaccination appointment.
– We only do this because of the situation in Sydney, Kelly says according to BBC.
The outbreak in Sydney has led to harsh criticism of the authorities’ vaccine rollout. Vaccination began in February, but has been severely delayed due to a lack of Pfizer doses, vaccine skepticism and confusion over the side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Australian authorities set out early for the AstraZeneca vaccine to make up the majority of their vaccines, but this changed in April when it was no longer recommended for people under 50. Thus, the authorities had to buy the mRNA vaccines Pfizer and Moderna, but were far behind the queue.
As a result, just over ten per cent of Australia’s population is fully vaccinated.
–
