An announcement about covid-19 in Australia causes a stir 0:42
(CNN) -
A drastic Australian government health announcement showing a young woman panting while hooked up to a fan sparked a strong negative response in the country.
Users of social networks criticize the targeting of young people in order to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, since most of them are not yet eligible to receive the recommended vaccine.
"Covid can affect anyone. Stay home. Get tested. Reserve your vaccine," reads an onscreen message in the 30-second ad, apparently intended to illustrate the risks posed to young people by the highly contagious delta variant. .
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The ad, which began airing Sunday night in Sydney, "is quite graphic, and it pretends to be," Australia's chief medical officer Paul Kelly told a news conference on Sunday.
"We do it because of the (covid-19) situation."
Although Australia has fared better than many other developed nations in keeping infections relatively low, Sydney has seen an increase in the number of cases in recent weeks as the delta variant progresses.
In response to the outbreak, restrictions have been tightened in Australia's largest city, with strict regulations limiting outdoor gatherings, exercise and shopping.
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New South Wales, whose capital is Sydney, reported 112 new cases of local transmission on Monday, almost all in Sydney, despite strict containment measures.
The new government announcement is part of a broader health campaign against COVID-19 highlighting the severity of the most recent outbreak;
however, many Australians have raised concerns about the use of "insensitive" scare tactics and what many perceive as a confusing and contradictory message.
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Bill Bowtell, an adjunct professor at the University of New South Wales and a strategic health policy consultant, said the announcement is "ill-conceived in every possible way."
The young woman who appears struggling to breathe is especially concerning, according to Bowtell.
Based on the current vaccine rollout in Australia, most people under the age of 40 cannot receive the recommended vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, he said.
"All health communication has to be in good taste, it has to have integrity and honesty. This fails in that regard," Bowtell added.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that people under the age of 40 could request an AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from their GP even if they were not eligible for it, reversing a previously prioritized policy. high-risk groups such as healthcare workers and the elderly.
However, Morrison's comments were widely contradicted by senior health officials, many of whom cited guidance provided by the government's own advisory group on vaccines, suggesting that young people wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, due to the lower risk of rare blood clotting events.
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As a result of the mixed messages, adoption of the AstraZeneca vaccine has been poor, while the shortage of the Pfizer-BioNTech covid-19 vaccine has continued to hamper implementation nationwide.
As of Sunday, just over 9 million doses of vaccines had been administered nationwide, according to the Health Department.
Only 9% of the population has been fully vaccinated, according to CNN's Covid-19 Vaccination Monitor.
Referring to the backlash against the government's new health announcement on Monday, Morrison said there will "always" be criticism.
"I know, and just a few weeks ago our same critics were saying that advertising had to be louder, much louder, even making references to the Grim Reapers," he told CNN affiliate Sky News Australia.
"[The ad] has two messages ... one is to stay home," Morrison added.
"We cannot trust this. And the young people moving through the city are putting the entire community, and themselves, in danger."
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