The COVID-19 vaccine roll out has been a complete mess from the word go.
The prioritising of high-risk groups was always going to put the majority of young people at the back of the line, but rollout stalls have extend the time they have to wait.
Sure, for some the hesitancy to be vaccinated has to do with the Astrazeneca side effects and advice changing, but there was never going to be a smooth rollout without more doses ordered.
Despite the Prime Minister repeatedly stating that this isn't a race, it doesn’t change that we’re ranked dead last in percentage of the population vaccinated in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Now, with the mounting cases in NSW, a new ad from the federal government has been released to encourage Australians to get tested, stay home and book their vaccinations.
The ad features a young woman, clearly in a lot of pain attached to oxygen and struggling to breathe in a dark hospital room on their own.
It’s reminiscent of the anti-smoking ads we’ve seen in the past, aiming to make us uncomfortable and scared in order to keep us safe.
But airing this ad puts the blame and responsibility on young people when most aren’t even eligible.
Sure, young people can now approach their GP (if they have one) to discuss getting the Astrazeneca vaccine, but with the conflicting advice and not all GPs on board with this, it isn’t really opening the door.
At best this is all just nonsensical, paying to produce and release an advertisement targeted at people who, for the most part, can’t book their jab.
But it’s worse, it essentially says, ‘see this young person wasn’t staying safe and now they can’t breathe and that’s on them’.
There are young people in with COVID-19 in ICU in NSW now, this isn’t some look at what the future will be like if we don’t get vaccinated – it’s what it looks like now.
Making the person in the ad someone who doesn’t look old enough to qualify without meeting another criteria is a choice, a choice made to frame young people as irresponsible risk-takers who aren’t following the recommended precautions.
Never mind the fact that it feels blatantly unethical to launch a scare-tactic campaign amidst a global pandemic that has had significant impacts on the mental health of so many of us.
It isn’t surprising that not being able to get vaccinated has become young people’s fault, this narrative of blaming young people for things they can’t control is well practiced.
But it is an undeniably strange angle to take when young people aren’t opposed to getting the vaccine.
The Daily Aus, an Instagram news channel for young people surveyed their followers and found that 90% of respondents said they would get the vaccine today if one of their choosing was available.
In England, more than 700,000 COVID-19 vaccines were booked on the day their National Health Service vaccination program opened to people aged 18-20.
Young people want to get vaccinated, all they need is the opportunity.
