Kyle Sandilands Admits He Was “Fooled” by Government Into Promoting COVID Vaccines
“I will admit, I was so wrong,” Sandilands said.
Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands has admitted he was “so wrong” to promote COVID-19 vaccination during the pandemic, saying broadcasters were “fooled” by the government and that important information about the vaccines was withheld from the public.
Speaking on Kyle Sandilands Live, Sandilands reflected on his role in the national vaccination campaign and the pro-vaccine song Get Vaxxed Baby, which he recorded in 2021.
“I will admit, I was so wrong,” Sandilands said.
“I was involved, and a lot of people, a lot of broadcasters, TV presenters were — we were all fooled at one stage by the government. Remember I did that dumb song? Get Vax Baby? Oh, I thought I was doing the right thing.”
Sandilands said he had not been paid to promote the campaign, despite speculation at the time, and argued that he was simply trying to communicate what authorities had presented as an urgent public-health message.
“I was trying, like everyone else, to get the message out that we were told was imperative,” he said.
He then criticised the government’s communication surrounding COVID-19 transmission and vaccination, arguing that Australians were not adequately informed that vaccinated people could still contract and transmit the virus.
“What about when they knew — the government knew — that even if we got the vaccine, we could still get COVID and we could still pass it on?” Sandilands said.
“But they never told us that. They kept it from us.”
Co-hosts also raised questions about how COVID-19 deaths were counted during the pandemic, claiming that people who died from other causes could be recorded as COVID victims if they had tested positive.
The co-host also criticised the restrictions placed on public discussion of COVID-19 during the pandemic, saying he was now relieved to be able to speak openly about his views.
“I’m glad I can say that now because we had a woke censor and ACMA rules,” he said.
This is not the first time Sandilands has criticised the COVID vaccination push. His recent remarks echo comments he made in 2022, when he described his participation in the vaccination campaign as an effort to “con” Australians into getting vaccinated.
At the time, Sandilands criticised the NSW Police Force after claiming he had encountered difficulties obtaining a liquor licence because he was not considered a “fit and proper person.”
He pointed to what he saw as a contradiction between that assessment and his earlier involvement in the government’s national vaccination campaign.
“I’m fit and proper to do the national campaign to con everyone into getting vaccinated,” Sandilands said at the time.
In 2021, Sandilands recorded a pro-vaccine rap titled Get Vaxxed Baby, which was played during advertising breaks on Network Ten and MTV.
The track was based on Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby and urged Australians to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison publicly congratulated Sandilands for the campaign, reportedly telling him that his children enjoyed the song. Former NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard also praised the effort, describing it as “fantastic.”
The music video has since attracted more than 127,000 views on YouTube.
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