This was published 3 years ago
Doctors, healthcare workers to be punished for anti-vax COVID claims
By Kate Aubusson
Doctors, nurses and pharmacists who spread COVID anti-vaccination claims will face harsh penalties, including being stripped of their ability to practise, by the medical watchdog.
The national medical boards and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Agency (AHPRA) released a joint directive warning healthcare practitioners that they risk regulatory action if they spout false or deceptive misinformation to patients or on social media that could undermine the national vaccination program as the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout begins.
“There is no place for anti-vaccination messages in professional health practice, and any promotion of anti-vaccination claims including on social media, and advertising may be subject to regulatory action,” spokesman for the medical boards and Pharmacy Board chairman Brett Simmonds said.
The joint statement was supported by every national health professional board, including the medical, nursing and midwifery, pharmacy, dental, chiropractic, Chinese medicine, paramedicine and osteopathy boards of Australia.
In September, AHPRA and the boards confirmed they had received complaints about doctors and other healthcare workers spreading anti-vaccination messages and COVID conspiracy theories in semi-private social media groups in direct contravention of laws that prohibit them from spreading false, misleading or deceptive claims.
An AHPRA spokeswoman said in a statement to the Herald that practitioners who breached national boards’ codes of conduct might be subject to investigation and other action on a case-by-case basis.
“Practitioners have a responsibility to promote the health of the community through disease prevention and control,” the spokeswoman said.
“National Boards’ codes of conduct require practitioners to ensure that personal views not affect the patients or clients adversely,” she said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant are expected to get their AstraZeneca vaccinations at St George Hospital in Sydney’s south on Wednesday.
The AstraZeneca shot, described by Australia’s chief health bureaucrat Professor Brendan Murphy as the “workhorse” of the national vaccination program, will be the vaccine most Australians will receive and therefore the vaccine most healthcare practitioners will administer.
The national boards’ joint position statement also urged registered health practitioners to get vaccinated against COVID-19 unless medically contraindicated and get the necessary training and accreditation to administer vaccines if they are authorised to do so.
NSW reported no new locally acquired COVID-19 for the 52nd consecutive day on Wednesday.
A total of 15,534 tests were reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, more than doubling the 6825 tests reported the previous day.