The Queensland government will only grant flu-shot exemptions to NRL players on medical grounds, says the state’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young.
However, Young says players who refuse vaccination for any other reason will not be allowed to train or play in what appears to be bad news for Gold Coast’s Bryce Cartwright and Brian Kelly.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys had been confident the Queensland government would accept their biosecurity guidelines that would allow NRL players to sign a waiver to refuse the vaccination.
It would have cleared Titans duo Cartwright and Kelly to return to training after they were stood down following the intervention of the Queensland government under a ‘no-jab, no-play’ policy.
But Young said on Tuesday she had told the NRL they would only provide exemptions for players who have had adverse reactions to vaccinations.
“I sent a letter to the NRL yesterday in which I did exempt them for medical contrary indications, no different to the exemptions I provide for children who are attending child care or for people going to aged care so they have those same exemptions,” she said.
“If they have got medical reasons for not being vaccinated (they will receive an exemption).
“If they have had an anaphylactic reaction to previous flu vaccine or any component of a flu vaccine, you do not need to be vaccinated so I have provided that exemption.”
Asked if players could receive an exemption on any other grounds, Young said: “That’s not covered.
“Although the NRL did not put that in their initial submission to me I thought it was reasonable that the NRL players and support staff, coaches and officials have that same exemption that I provide for visitors going into aged-care facilities or for children.”
Young said she was not sure whether her exemptions on medical grounds would clear the Titans duo to play.
“I don’t know they (NRL) haven’t come back to me,” she said.
It is a blow for the Titans who look set to seek clarity from the NRL over potential compensation in their 32-man squad while Cartwright and Kelly are stood down.
Titans culture manager Mal Meninga said the club had been disadvantaged by having just 30 players in their training squad, with the duo sidelined for refusing the jab.
They are the only two players in the competition who have been stood down.
“We’re not quite sure how it’s all going to pan out if we get any compensation for those guys making those decisions, personal decisions that will put the team at a disadvantage and the club at a disadvantage,” Meninga told Fox Sports.
Cartwright is not expected to budge on his anti-vaccination beliefs while Meninga said Kelly has been spoken to by health experts, including an indigenous specialist, to help him understand the vaccinations.
However, he is yet to receive the jab.