Top doctor claims it would be 'CHILD ABUSE' for Mark McGowan to open Western Australia's border before children between 5 and 11 were vaccinated
- Top doctor urged Western Australia to delay reopening its state borders in 2022
- Mark Duncan-Smith said children between five and 11 should be vaccinated first
- State intends to open when 90 per cent of residents double-jabbed in January
- Dr Duncan-Smith wants the vaccination target to now include children
Western Australia should delay reopening its state borders until children aged between five and 11 are fully-vaccinated, a top doctor has warned.
Australian Medical Association WA president Mark Duncan-Smith said he was happy to hold off reopening the border as planned in late January.
He argued it would be better to wait several more weeks, claiming it would be 'child abuse' to reopen before children were fully-vaccinated.
'This is why months ago I said... that to open up without children being vaccinated was bordering on child abuse. I still stand by that,' he said.
Australian Medical Association WA president Mark Duncan-Smith (left) said he was happy to hold off reopening the border as planned in late January
Dr Duncan-Smith argued it would be better to wait several more weeks claiming it would be 'child abuse' to reopen before children were fully-vaccinated (pictured, teenager waiting at a Covid-19 vaccination clinic)
Premier Mark McGowan intends to reopen the state borders when 90 per cent of residents have been vaccinated.
Some 77 per cent of the state is double-jabbed with the 90 per cent milestone expected to be met in late January or early February.
The vaccination milestone only accounts for residents aged 16 and above.
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It was determined before the TGA approved the Pfizer vaccine for children aged between five and 11.
Dr Duncan-Smith said the vaccination milestone should include the new age group, which would mean pushing back the date of reopening the border by several weeks.
'If it does mean pushing back the date by a couple of weeks then I think all West Australians, especially the ones with children, are going to be happy to do that to see the children protected better,' he said.
'The children that are vaccinated will be at much less risk of getting severe Covid and getting long Covid.'
Western Australia should delay reopening its state borders until children aged between five and 11 are fully-vaccinated, Dr Duncan-Smith said
Mr McGowan (pictured) has insisted he will not alter his plans and forge ahead with reopening the state in early 2022
Dr Duncan-Smith pointed out a large proportion of Covid-19 cases were young people with 25 per cent aged under 19.
'It is affecting the paediatric group and the NHS in the UK has recorded 7.4 per cent rate of long Covid,' he said.
Scott Morrison has blasted Mark McGowan's hardline border policy saying it's 'doing more harm than good'.
The prime minister is furious the rogue Labor leader is not adhering to the National Plan which calls for states to do away with border closures once the jab rate hits 80 per cent.
'The modelling done by the Doherty Institute makes it very clear, and that was what was agreed in the National Plan, not just once but twice, and that is once you reach 80 per cent vaccination rates, then you're able to move forward,' Mr Morrison said last month.
'The advice we have from the Secretary of Treasury from Dr Kennedy is once you go over 80 per cent and you keep things locked down, you are doing more harm than good to your economy.
'You are actually putting a price on Australians, when you continue to put heavy restrictions on your economy, once you get 80 per cent vaccination rates.'
