Dr. Nick Coatsworth, who has helped lead Australia’s response to Covid-19, has revealed he will no longer receive vaccinations against the virus.
Speaking to Ben Fordham on 2GB on Wednesday, the former public face of Australia’s fight against Covid-19 made the stunning admission that he is done with Covid vaccines.
‘Are you still being vaccinated against Covid?’ Fordham asked.
“No,” said Dr. Coatsworth.
“When did you stop doing that?”
“About two years ago I had three vaccines, and that was enough for me.”
“Any reason why?” Fordham asked.
“Because I don’t think I need Ben anymore, and science says that’s not the case,” Dr. Coatsworth said.
Dr. Nick Coatsworth (pictured) said he has had three Covid vaccines, ‘and that’s been enough for me’
Dr. Coatsworth told Ben Fordham: ‘I don’t think I need any more Ben, and science tells me I don’t’
The current advice from the Ministry of Health and Elderly Care states: ‘Regular COVID-19 vaccinations (also called boosters) are the best way to maintain your protection against serious illness, hospitalization and death from Covid-19.
‘They are especially important for anyone aged 65 or over and people at higher risk of severe Covid-19.
‘As with all vaccinations, people are encouraged to discuss available vaccine options with their doctor.’
This isn’t the first controversial statement Dr. Coatsworth – Australia’s former deputy chief health officer – has made the case about the Covid vaccine.
In February this year, Dr Coatsworth admitted imposing vaccine mandates was wrong after the Queensland Supreme Court ruled that forcing police and paramedics to take the jab or lose their jobs was ‘unlawful’.
In his research proposal, Dr. Coatsworth said mandates should only be a “last resort,” “temporarily limited,” and should be imposed by governments, not employers.
While Dr Coatsworth noted that Australia had put together a top team of medical experts to advise on managing the pandemic, he said they lacked an ethical framework, making the focus too narrow.
“This enabled the creation of a ‘control disease at any cost’ policy path dependency, which, while suitable for the first wave, was ill-suited to the vaccine era,” he said.
Dr. Coatsworth argued that the restriction and testing policies adopted to contain the first deadliest variant of Covid in 2020 lingered far beyond their relative advantage, leading to nationwide workforce and testing shortages.
He also believed that the differing approaches among states, and between states and the federal government, confused the public and eroded human rights.
“I strongly encourage the inquiry to recommend an amendment to the Biosecurity Act to ensure that all disease control powers rest with the federal government during a national biosecurity emergency,” wrote Dr. Coatsworth.
Dr. Coatsworth was appointed as one of three new deputy chief medical officers under Brendan Murphy at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
He now works as a doctor in Canberra and is contracted to Nine-Fairfax channels and newspapers as a presenter and health expert.
He appeared on the Fordham program in preparation for a new TV show he is co-hosting with Tracy Grimshaw, Do You Want To Live Forever?
