I was interviewed and quoted in the article, “Confusion over temporary vaccine exemption”, written by Ms Anastasia Tsirtsakis, published in newsGP.

Tsirtsakis A. Confusion over temporary vaccine exemption. 2021 September 28. Available from:  https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/confusion-over-temporary-vaccine-exemption

Quotation

“Sydney GP Dr Michael Tam, who also works as a medical officer at Liverpool Hospital’s vaccination centre, anticipates problems if the department asks GPs to be involved in the process before this aspect has been finalised.

‘There isn’t necessarily a clear central database to say this person was diagnosed COVID positive on this particular date,’ he told newsGP.

‘After discharge from community isolation, often there isn’t any documentation that the patient can take to their GP to say, “This is what happened to me over the last two-and-a-half weeks”. And so in the absence of that information, that can be a little bit difficult.

‘Certainly, at the moment, you sort of have to go with what the patient just says.’

Dr Tam says this scenario quickly becomes ‘quite high stakes’ from a medical and risk perspective.

‘We really need to have a system that doesn’t allow people to fall through the cracks because it does become potentially quite discriminatory,’ he said.

‘And for the GP, you don’t want to just sign something, where if someone lies to them, it could potentially put the community at risk.’

…

Dr Tam says this is in line with both the ATAGI and the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) guidelines, and that it allows vaccination efforts to focus on those who are at higher risk of severe disease.

‘These are individuals who are not going to be putting other people at risk,’ he said. ‘In fact, if they met somebody with COVID, they wouldn’t even be considered a close contact.’”