Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath has slammed TGA advice that has led the NRL to suspend tickets offered to Queenslanders as an incentive to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination as "bureaucracy gone mad".
The NRL had offered to give away 3000 double passes for this weekend's games to anyone getting vaccinated at key centres across Queensland today and tomorrow.
However, the Therapeutic Goods Administration sets the rules for medical approvals in Australia and its guidelines regarding COVID-19 vaccinations state that cash or other rewards are strictly limited to people who are fully vaccinated, meaning people who are not yet vaccinated cannot be bought.
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"The footy is tomorrow night and people who turned up to be vaccinated today didn't walk away with the tickets," Ms D'Ath said this afternoon.
"Are we supposed to be vaccinating people in this country or not?"
She confirmed the government had not consulted the TGA before pushing forward with the promotion offered by the NRL.
Ms D'Ath laid the blame for the tickets-for-jabs fiasco on Prime Minister Scott Morrison and federal Health Minister Greg Hunt.
She said Mr Morrison had publicly backed a Melbourne pub which was told by the TGA it could not offer a free beer to vaccinated patrons but had not done the same for Queensland.
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"Scott Morrison said he was going to fix this two months ago," Ms D'Ath said.
"He's all for a free beer but not for a ticket to the footy.
"This is ridiculous.
"Greg Hunt needs to step in and fix this.
"We want people to get vaccinated in Queensland, what is the problem?
"It seems to be the better we do, the more we get criticised."
The NRL told 9News it thought the ticket giveaway did follow the guidelines but later confirmed it would need to be amended.
Ms D'Ath said the NRL plans to reallocate the tickets to people who turned out for their second dose.
She said Chief Health Officer Dr Jeanette Young had asked the TGA to reconsider.