Karl Stefanovic Expresses Regret Over Supporting the Covid Vaccine Campaign
Karl Stefanovic, a well-known television presenter, has recently expressed his regret over encouraging Australians to get vaccinated during the pandemic. His admission came during an in-depth interview with former Liberal senator and vocal vaccine critic Gerard Rennick on Rennick’s YouTube podcast.
At the peak of the pandemic in 2021, Stefanovic was a prominent figure in Channel Nine’s ‘This is Our Shot’ vaccination campaign. He joined other celebrities like Scott Cam, Hamish Blake, Shaynna Blaze, Eddie McGuire, Liz Hayes, and Richard Wilkins to promote the initiative. As part of the campaign, Stefanovic and his then-Today show co-host Ally Langdon were among the first to book their appointments once Pfizer vaccinations became available for their age group. Their experience was even filmed for the cameras, with Stefanovic famously saying, “This is my shot.”
The campaign sparked controversy, as many viewers pointed out that most of the celebrities featured were white, while others criticized the focus on identity politics during a global health crisis. Almost five years later, the backlash has led Stefanovic to reconsider his involvement in the campaign.
Stefanovic has since apologized for supporting the vaccine and not questioning the strict government mandates that led to long lockdowns, which affected millions of Australians. Many people lost their jobs due to their decision not to get vaccinated. In his conversation with Rennick, he acknowledged the impact of his actions.
“Can we talk about Covid for a little bit? Because it’s often mentioned in the comments,” Stefanovic said. “I read them all because I’m genuinely interested in how people view things. The one thing they say about me is that I supported the Covid jab, and I have regrets from that time.”
He admitted that he should have questioned the science more and not been part of the messaging that contributed to isolating people. “I don’t think the media should be involved in that kind of messaging. What I do believe is that we should have been there to offer some sort of education, but we shouldn’t have taken that step further and been part of a campaign.”
Rennick responded by stating that Stefanovic wasn’t solely to blame and should have received better guidance from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). He highlighted the challenges faced during the early stages of the pandemic, when the risks were not fully understood. “There was 2020 when Covid was out there in the community and we didn’t know what the impact of that was going to be. I always thought the premiers played up the risk,” Rennick said.
He also criticized the decision to lock down healthy working-age individuals, arguing that it was counterproductive. “You don’t protect the weak by destroying the strong.”
Stefanovic agreed that the messaging around vaccines wasn’t clear enough. “Or maybe it was and we weren’t doing our job,” he told Rennick. “It’s so important during a crisis like that to get messaging right.”
He also expressed regret over promoting the vaccine mandates, which forced many Australians to lose their jobs if they refused the jab. “The mandating of this vaccine… I think now on reflection is inherently wrong,” he said. “We all signed waivers, right? And this mandate was, you have to do it, you have to do this to go to work. It’s part of almost being Australian now – you must get the vaccine.”
Rennick, who served as a Liberal senator until 2024, was one of several Coalition rebels against the vaccine mandates. He crossed the floor in favor of a bill to ban the mandates. He blamed then-health minister Greg Hunt for not addressing concerns raised by senators like himself.
“He should have picked that phone up to the TGA when I told him what was going on and said, ‘I’ve got a backbench Senator here who is getting inundated with young people by that vaccine. What’s going on?’ he claimed. “And he never did it. He dismissed my concerns. And if you’re listening to this, Greg, I’m never going to forgive you for it.”
Stefanovic’s remarks on his podcast divided public opinion. Some criticized him for his past support, while others praised him for acknowledging his mistakes. “The true mark of a man is his ability to own his mistakes and learn from them,” one comment read.
