Controversy in Australia over government video to promote COVID-19 vaccination

The shocking images of the effects of COVID-19 included in a TV commercial with which the Australian government urges people to get vaccinated on Monday drew criticism from various sectors, who believe that the campaign generates fear and causes greater anxiety.

The government video, aimed at Sydney residents, shows a young woman in a hospital bed with breathing difficulties visible as she is connected to a mechanical ventilator and ends with a text that says COVID-19 can affect anyone and invites you to make an appointment to get vaccinated.

“Advertising campaigns in France and New Zealand focus on hope and the restoration of freedom and normalcy. Australia chose to spread fearCriticized conservative columnist Rita Panahi on Twitter, with more than 254,500 followers.

But Lieutenant-General John Frewen, one of the top executives of the Australian government’s vaccination program, said on Monday that the announcement is’ effective ‘and its intention is to alert that’ the situation in (the state of) New Wales and Sydney is very serious.

Sydney, the epicenter of a COVID-19 outbreak with the variant Delta, recorded 112 new local infections on Monday, another new annual daily record so far in 2021 in Australia, despite the confinement decreed on June 26, which aims to continue for several more weeks.

With less than 10% of the more than 25 million people vaccinated with the comprehensive directive against COVID-19 in Australia, the publicity indirectly reinforces the call of the population to be vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, produced locally.

The advertising campaign, which targets young people, has also been criticized by the lack of access of young adults to the vaccine. Pfizer’s formula is recommended for the population under 60, according to the immunization schedule, but those under 40 had difficulty getting an appointment.

“Why are you using a youth in your scary ad and warning that they can get seriously ill with COVID when a youth cannot be vaccinated because our government did a lousy job implanting the vaccine?Mental health activist Jill Stark told her over 21,000 subscribers.

For the chronicler of The Guardian Amy Remeikis, “The worst thing” about the Arm Yourself campaign “is that the militarization of Australia’s response to the pandemic continues. It’s not about helping others but yourselfAccording to his Twitter account with more than 44,400 followers.

To justify the announcement, the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, dijo a Sky News that “the important thing is that people understand how critical this (COVID-19) is,” commenting that within a week, one million weekly vaccines will be distributed across the country. Australia is racking up some 31,000 infections and 911 deaths, the last of which was reported on Sunday.

(With information from EFE)

Read on: