A GP who refuses to give the Covid-19 vaccine to his patients said last night he remained defiant in the face of harsh criticism.
Dr Gerard Waters of Whitethorn Clinic in Celbridge, Co Kildare, was yesterday slammed by HSE chief Paul Reid who called his stance “extremely disappointing and quite shocking”.
The doctor also revealed he does not refer his patients for Covid tests.
Dr Waters told Dublin Live last night: “My take fundamentally is that it’s an experimental vaccine.
“It’s a messenger RNA vaccine and I don’t think that the illness overall warrants using an experimental vaccine.
“You can’t test a drug over a period of less than a year. This has been rushed into production.
“They’ve no idea – it could be a year, it could be a month, it could be six months, it could be five years before they realise what’s happening. They don’t know what the long-term or even short-term side effects are. I’m a 71-year-old doctor, I’ve been doing it for 40 years. I’ve seen dozens and dozens of drugs developed.”
Dr Waters said the Department of Health agreed to accommodate all his patients that want the jab.
He told RTE Radio One’s Liveline he’s not fixed in his views and if “circumstances change, I will change”.
Celbridge woman Maureen Lawlor, speaking from a sheltered housing complex for older people, thought the move was an “appalling abuse of his position”.
