##MP##
The head of the Girriny Yealamucka Health Service in Yarrabah, east of Cairns, says a fake social media post about the death of a seven year-old Sydney boy from a COVID-19 vaccine has led to fearful parents refusing to get their children jabbed.
The post, which circulated widely at the weekend, was written by a person claiming to be the father of a boy named Lachlan Leary.
It said ‘Lachlan’ had died from a heart attack related to a COVID vaccine.
The claim has since been publicly refuted by Westmead Hospital, which was mentioned in the post, along with Westmead Children’s Hospital.
##BA##
“There are many inaccurate posts currently circulating on social media,” a spokesperson said.
“There is no record of any child having passed away following COVID vaccination at our hospital.”
Furthermore, images of ‘Steve Leary’ came from a Panama fishing website and a Florida citizen’s Facebook page.
The social media giant has since suspended the account.
In an unprecedented move, Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Chief Executive Suzanne Andrews has spoken out about the impact of the post, while likening it to a Nigerian scam.
“We all know the Nigerian prince emails and NBN Technical Support phone calls are a hoax,” she said.
“They are designed to steal our money.
“But what’s worse is the fake social media posts like the Lachlan Leary post, posts of this nature are appalling, they are designed to take our most precious, our children.”
In the first week of the vaccination rollout for the community’s five to 12-year-olds, 20 per cent of children received the jab.
Ms Andrews said that rate has fallen sharply since the post circulated.
“We saw our number drop in the second week,” she said.
“The post is fake, totally discredited by Westmead Hospital in Sydney, but the damage has been done.
“In our community there are some members who have concerns regarding vaccination.
##PQ##
“If you have concerns regarding vaccination, speak to your GP or come and talk to our GPs.”
Misinformation was blamed for Yarrabah having the worst vaccination rate in the state late last year, however since then jab rates have soared, with 81 per cent of residents 16 and over receiving a double dose and 91.4 per cent having their first jab.
The latest figures show Yarrabah has 318 active COVID-19 cases with none of them in hospital.
Main points
- Vaccination rates for Yarrabah children have dropped since a fake social media post began circulating
- The post, discredited by multiple sources, claimed a Sydney boy died after receiving a jab
- Facebook has since suspended the account
