'Not a good look': Backlash over premier's Covid jab
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is facing criticism for getting the Pfizer vaccine instead of the AstraZeneca jab.
The premier received her vaccination for Covid-19 on Monday.
Ms Palaszczuk is 51 and people over the age of 50 are being encouraged by the government to receive an AstraZeneca vaccine.
The premier explained she received Pfizer due to the quicker turnaround between doses. Pfizer means she can receive her second jab in 21 days while AstraZeneca requires three months between the two doses.
She added she needed Pfizer to ensure she would be fully vaccinated in case she had to travel to the Tokyo Olympics next month.
Ms Palaszczuk said there's a chance she and the prime minister will need to present Brisbane's 2032 Olympics bid to the International Olympic Committee.
"I wouldn't have been vaccinated, and that's why I had the Pfizer," Ms Palaszczuk told reporters.
People criticise premier over vaccine choice
On Twitter, people criticised the premier’s decision as “not a good look”. The premier has been eligible for a vaccine since March.
“You could have had two doses of AZ by now,” one man tweeted.
Another woman called it “poor form” adding the premier could have had AstraZeneca “ages ago”.
“It was obvious from the start you didn't want AstraZeneca like the rest of us, so you stalled and stalled then made an excuse to have Pfizer,” one man tweeted.
Others suggested the premier's travel plans were a "kick in the guts" to Aussies separated from their families.
"This is messed up. Millions of Australians want to see their families but can't leave and you're getting vaccinated so that you might be able to go to the Olympics," one person wrote.
"It took me over 6 months, 7 cancelled flights and $10k+ to fly back to Australia to hug my terminally ill mum one last time and you are talking about “needing” to go to the Olympics?" another said.
"Absolute joke and a kick in the guts to #strandedaussies. Assuming home isolation on return too."
Premier's delay after being bitten by dog
The premier was initially offered the Pfizer vaccine on day one of the rollout in February, but she said she didn't want to jump the queue.
Ms Palaszczuk said her jab was delayed by two weeks because she had to get a tetanus shot after being bitten by her dog Winton.
The premier then got a flu shot, delaying her vaccination for a further two weeks.
She laughed when asked why she had prioritised her flu shot over the Covid-19 jab.
"I have done everything I could physically be required to do," Ms Palaszczuk said.
The premier insisted she would have had the AstraZeneca jab if there wasn't the remote possibility of overseas travel.
Queensland launched a vaccination blitz over the weekend resulting in 17,032 doses being administered across the state.
The state government opened up 18 vaccine hubs to any aged care workers or people aged 40-49 who had registered for the jab.
More than 836,000 doses have been delivered in Queensland with about 92,500 people fully vaccinated.
with AAP
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