The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Djokovic’ s comments on vaccine will ‘cause harm’
Novak Djokovic’s comments about Covid-19 vaccination will “cause harm”, a medical ethicist has argued.
His views are “enormously influential” and could “reinforce beliefs” among people who are not as fit and healthy as the tennis star, according to Professor Dominic Wilkinson.
The professor of medical ethics at Oxford University said that the response to the coronavirus pandemic should be collective and suggested that libertarian views on vaccination of “my body, my decision, my choice” present a “fundamental ethical problem”.
But Julian Savulescu, Uehiro professor of practical ethics at Oxford University, said that the tennis ace had been “vilified”.
Djokovic was deported from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open last month amid concerns over his vaccine status. The Serbian tennis star told the BBC he was “never against vaccination”, but insisted: “I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.”
He told the broadcaster that he had “always been a great student of wellness, wellbeing, health, nutrition” and said that he would be willing to forgo future tournaments if mandatory jabs are a condition to compete.
Commenting on the interview, Prof Wilkinson said: “It seems to me that he doesn’t have a political agenda, that he isn’t aiming to spread his views about vaccines, but nevertheless, his views – as evidenced in this high-profile interview – are enormously influential.
“One ethical reason why people who are in the public eye ought to behave in a way that is in a sense, a kind of higher standard than everybody else, is because the behaviour is very influential, it teaches other people how to behave.
“So if somebody who is an incredibly high-profile, high-achieving sportsman doesn’t have the vaccine and says so publicly, and there’s lots of attention to it, even if that’s not his intention, that will have the effect of supporting those who are opposed to the vaccine.”
Prof Wilkinson added: “The fundamental ethical problem with a libertarian approach to vaccines, which is ‘my body, my decision, my choice’, is that vaccines are not just about you – they’re about all of us.”
Prof Savulescu said the general view that people should be “free to do whatever they want with their body” was “too extreme”. He said: “There are going to be obviously circumstances where we’re not free to do as we like with our bodies when we represent a serious threat to other people.”
But Prof Savulescu added: “Personally, I think it’s absurd that somebody can’t express their views and we can have even a slightly nuanced understanding of the requirements for vaccination and its limits.
“It’s a shame that it’s come to this that we have to vilify an individual in an attempt to essentially persuade the population to do what we want them to do without instead providing just accurate information and enabling them to make their own decisions.”
“Vaccines are not just about you – they’re about all of us
Novak Djokovic says he will not defend his Wimbledon or French Open tennis titles if the tournaments require mandatory vaccination for competitors.
“Yes, that is the price that I’m willing to pay,” the world No 1 told the BBC when asked if he would sacrifice participating in the competitions.
“I say that everybody has the right to choose or act or say or feel whatever is appropriate for them.”
The 34-year-old, who is not vaccinated against Covid-19, said he would forego the tournaments “because the principles of decision-making on my body are more important than any title or anything else”.
“I’m trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can,” he added.
Djokovic later said he was happy to speak on the issue, telling his nine million Twitter followers: “I am grateful for the opportunity to answer questions from @ amolrajan and set the record straight. Watch the full interview today at 8.30pm GMT on @BBC1 in the UK and BBC World.”
Djokovic distanced himself from the antivaccination movement, despite being deported from Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open last month amid concerns about his vaccine status.
He said: “I have never said I’m part of that movement. It’s really unfortunate that there has been this kind of misconception and wrong conclusion based upon something that I completely disagree with.”
He told the broadcaster he was “keeping (his) mind open” to the possibility of getting vaccinated in the future “because we are all trying to find collectively, a best possible solution to end Covid-19”.
“I was never against vaccination. I understand that, globally, everyone is trying to put a big effort into handling this virus and seeing, hopefully, an end soon to this virus.”
Djokovic addressed his deportation from Australia after some had suggested that it was convenient he had tested positive for Covid in mid-december.
The timing allowed him to be granted a medical exemption to attend the tournament.
Djokovic said: “I understand that there is a lot of criticism, and I understand that people come out with different theories on how lucky I was or how convenient it is. But no one is lucky and convenient of getting Covid. Millions of people have and are still struggling with Covid around the world.
“So I take this very seriously, I really don’t like someone thinking I’ve misused something or in my own favour, in order to, you know, get a positive PCR test and eventually go to Australia.
“I was really sad and disappointed with the way it all ended for me in Australia. It wasn’t easy.
“I was not deported from Australia on the basis that I was not vaccinated, or I broke any rules or that I made an error in my visa declaration.
“The reason why I was deported from Australia was because the minister for immigration used his discretion to cancel my visa based on his perception that I might create some anti-vax sentiment in the country or in the city, which I disagree with.”
Djokovic is set to return to action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which begin on February 21. Entrants to Dubai do not need to be vaccinated against Covid and it is a tournament the Serbian has won five times.