Fewer than 600 patients have been granted permanent medical exemptions from COVID-19 vaccinations, Federal Government figures reveal.

A further 14,000 temporary exemptions have issued to those with ‘time-limited’ contraindications, such as an acute major illness or SARS-CoV-2 infection in the past six months.

Experts have suggested that given the range of vaccines on offer, only a tiny minority of patients, possibly as few as 10, would qualify for genuine permanent exemptions.

A handful of GPs have recently been accused of handing out hundreds of exemptions to anti-vaxxers trying to avoid getting a shot.