Source: ABCnews
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has backed a Melbourne pub’s offer of a free pint to vaccinated patrons, after the Therapeutic Goods Administration told the publican to pull the campaign.
The Prince Alfred hotel in Port Melbourne ran the offer last week as a vaccination incentive, with patrons offered “a free drink of their choosing — whether it be a pint, a wine , or a house spirit and mixer”.
Publican Tom Streater said it was only ever intended to support vaccinations and help prevent future lockdowns.
“We were just offering what we thought was a pretty fun promotion to encourage people to get vaccinated,” he said.
But on Tuesday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) contacted the pub and highlighted regulations which ban the offer of “alcohol, tobacco or registered medicines” as incentives for COVID-19 vaccinations.
“They were great about it, they were just nice folks doing their job,” Mr Streater said.
After the call, he discontinued the campaign.
Asked about the TGA’s intervention on Channel Seven’s Sunrise this morning, Mr Morrison said he thought it was “a bit heavy handed”.
He said Health Minister Greg Hunt had “a chat” to the TGA about the issue and “we’ll get it sorted, common sense will prevail”.
“The TGA are just doing their job,” he said.
“Those rules are there for important reasons, so drug companies can’t offer drugs and cigarettes to people to buy their prescription drugs.
“So it’s a a sensible rule, but in these circumstances, the national interest is to get vaccinated, so to the PA [Prince Alfred] down there in Melbourne, good on you for getting behind the national effort … cheers to the PA.”
Mr Streater said he was now planning to reintroduce a vaccination incentive, but would make sure it was not tied to alcohol.
“It’ll be food driven … or maybe a percentge off the bill if they come across after a vaccine and have a bite to eat at the pub,” he said.
“So we’ll try and do something to keep encouraging people to get out there and get it done.”
