As we know, Victorian Premier Dan Andrews is lobbying National Cabinet to mandate third vaccine shots.
This comes as the Morrison Government advised on Monday that inbound travellers will only be required to have two approved COVID-19 vaccine doses to enter the country when Australia opens to tourists on 21 February.
Yesterday, Dan Andrews drew the ire of the Morrison Government when he confirmed that any Victorian third jab mandate would apply equally to international arrivals:
Mr Andrews on Tuesday flagged international visitors coming to Victoria could have to fall into line with rules applying to state residents.
These rules require people going to hospitality venues and major events to have had their two doses, plus a booster shot.
“It’ll apply here, in the state of Victoria,” he told reporters when asked if the same rules would apply.
Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said Mr Andrews was fuelling uncertainty and should reconsider because the state could miss out on the economic boost those travellers will bring.
“The commonwealth health advice says that we can go with the double dose,” he told the Nine Network on Wednesday.
“Of course, he (Andrews) can offer, we can offer … the chance to get a booster when they get here.
“We don’t want to have a fight over this.
Despite being third dosed myself, I am against booster mandates and believe in free choice. I also view any booster mandates as overly draconian given the Omicron outbreak is quickly fading on its own:
Millions of Australians have also been infected with Omicron, meaning they have built-up protection.
Thus, I’d like to see vaccine mandates and segregation of the unvaccinated abolished altogether.
That said, if booster mandates are implemented, they must apply equally to foreign arrivals.
It would be inappropriate for Australians to be subjected to harsher vaccination requirements than foreigners arriving in Australia, especially given the poor efficacy of “approved” vaccines like China’s Sinopharm and Russia’s Sputnik (the latter of which is not even recognised by the WHO).
If boosters are supposedly necessary to slow the spread of COVID and to take strain off the hospital system, then they should apply equally to international arrivals.
Sadly, the whole debate around COVID seems to be based more on politics than health.
