'Spread like wildfire': Doctor's warning for the unvaccinated once lockdown ends

A doctor has issued a stark warning for those choosing to not receive a Covid-19 vaccination, saying when lockdown ends the virus will "spread like a wildfire".

In an explosive Facebook post, Melbourne-based doctor Sara Marzouk described choosing not to get a jab as playing "a game of roulette with your life and the life of your vulnerable loved ones".

"It’s not a matter of 'if' there is an uncontrolled Delta outbreak. It’s a matter of 'when'," she said.

The warning comes as Victoria recorded a huge jump in daily cases on Thursday.

Covid will 'rip through' the community

Dr Marzouk called Victoria's rising case numbers typical of the "nature of the Delta strain", warning people that once someone has it, it is inevitable other household contacts will too.

"That’s why vaccination is so imperative," she urged in a Facebook post.

"When the lockdowns end at 70-80 per cent vaccination, this virus will rip through our community and it’s the unvaccinated that will be at greatest risk of serious disease and death," Dr Marzouk wrote in a Facebook post.

"The unvaccinated won’t have a lockdown keeping infection rates low to protect them. They won’t be receiving government pandemic support payments.

"Those payments will cease and this virus will spread like wildfire."

Vaccine lowers the risk of Covid

Dr Marzouk hit back at those saying "the vaccine doesn’t stop us from getting the virus," arguing it significantly lowers the risk.

"Seatbelts don’t prevent you 100 per cent from being harmed or killed in a car accident but the risk of that happening is significantly lower," she wrote.

"Likewise the contraceptive pill is only 92 per cent effective. It’s not going to 100 per cent prevent pregnancy but the likelihood is greatly reduced.

"Vaccines are our best tool for harm minimisation and we need to embrace that protection.

"You either choose to protect yourself or you choose to play a game of roulette with your life, and the life of your vulnerable loved ones."

Dr Marzouk then listed the statistics and warnings involved with not receiving a vaccination, including being one of the 10-15 per cent who are hospitalised with Covid, one of the 5 per cent in ICU or one of the 1 per cent who die.

"Or you can choose to protect yourself with a vaccine that is over 90 per cent effective at reducing severe disease, hospitalisation and death," she wrote.

"It's your choice."

Victoria records a huge jump in cases

Victoria has recorded 324 new local Covid-19 cases on Thursday, a huge jump from previous days.

After recording three straight days in the low to mid 200s, the state's latest Delta outbreak increased significantly, with Thursday's number is the worst daily tally of Covid cases in Victoria since August 14, 2020.

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Of the 324 local cases, 107 have so far been linked to known cases and outbreaks, the Health Department said on Thursday morning.

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