The Federal Government should provide more clarity on its indemnity arrangements for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to quell GP uncertainty, says the RACGP president.

ATAGI’s declaration of a “likely causal link” between the vaccine and rare blood clots, what it has dubbed thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), threw Australia’s vaccination campaign into disarray last week.

However, Minister for Health Greg Hunt said “no doctor need worry” about being sued over the vaccine if there was a major adverse event, providing they had gotten informed consent from the patient before vaccinating them.

The AMA says the Federal Government’s indemnity agreements with the vaccine manufacturers should mean any lawsuits are directed at the pharmaceutical companies not individual GPs.