Pauline Hanson has ranted against Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s remarks about a “mandatory” COVID-19 vaccine, saying she “won’t be having it”.
“I tell you what, I’m not happy about this. I’m quite angry because you have no right to say that I have to have this vaccination, because I tell you what, I won’t be having it,” she said in a video posted on social media.
“I don’t have the flu vaccination, that’s my choice, even though I know 1200 Australians died last year, yet you never shut down the country.”
The One Nation senator went on to claim, without citing evidence, that the death toll from coronavirus has been exaggerated.
“COVID-19 is a virus, I understand, but when you falsify the deaths of people that say they died of COVID when they actually died of other underlying issues … to put a vaccine into my body that hasn’t been tested is not happening.
“But that is my choice, and I’m just telling you and the PM that I will not have it, and you will not force me to have it. It will be my choice what I do.”
Ms Hanson was referring to comments made by Mr Morrison on making the vaccination as “mandatory as you can possibly make it” for all Australians once it becomes available.
On Wednesday morning, the PM told 3AW that it needed to get to about 95 per cent of the population.
“I would expect it to be as mandatory as you can possibly make it,” the PM said. “There are always exemptions for any vaccine on medical grounds but that should be the only basis.
“I mean we’re talking about a pandemic that has destroyed you know, the global economy and taken the lives of hundreds of thousands all around the world and over 450 Australians here.
“We need the most extensive and comprehensive response to this to get Australia back to normal.”
But on Wednesday afternoon, the PM backtracked on the comments.
“There’s been a bit of an over-reaction to any suggestion of this,” Mr Morrison told 2GB’s Jim Wilson. “There will be no compulsory vaccine.
“What we want to achieve is as much vaccination as we possibly can.”
News.com.au revealed on Wednesday that the Morrison Government confirmed a landmark agreement with drug giant AstraZeneca to manufacture one of the world’s most promising coronavirus vaccines currently being developed by Oxford University researchers.
If it’s proved safe to use, Mr Morrison believes the agreement will ensure Australians will be among the first countries in the world to secure the jab, revealing it could be available to Aussies as soon as early next year. The UK Government has already ordered 100 million doses.
