With Melbourne currently experiencing another Covid-19 outbreak and fighting to control its spread, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and members of the Council Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) underscore the importance of getting the Covid-19 vaccine as the only pathway back to a more normal life.
In a joint statement released last week, the peak bodies urge “all Australians to get vaccinated” as “the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks”.
AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid says that Australia has an “outstanding record on vaccination, with some of the highest rates of vaccine take-up in the world”, which protects the community from a wide range of serious illness and members of the community could approach the vaccination Covid-19 with the “same confidence”, the statement reads.
“To date, there have been more than 160 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 world-wide and a death toll exceeding 3.3 million people.
“It is not sustainable for Australia to rely on international border closures, restrictions, and potential lockdowns to protect the community from Covid-19,” says Dr Khorshid.
In the joint statement, CPMC Chair Dr Kym Jenkins adds that while Australia has avoided much of the experience seen overseas, the country will still be vulnerable to its re-emergence until the population is largely vaccinated.
“Vaccines, like other medicines, can have side effects and there have been a very small number of serious adverse events from Covid-19 vaccination that may understandably worry some people.
“However, the community can be reassured by knowing these are extremely rare, and that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) have moved swiftly to address any safety concerns,” says Dr Jenkins.
For information about the Covid-19 vaccinations, visit the Department of Health at health.gov.au
