The Department of Defence has hit back at claims that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is forcibly vaccinating members of the Australian community.
In a statement, the Department said social media posts claiming that ADF personnel were forcibly vaccinating or detaining people were “emphatically false”.
“Defence personnel currently supporting Northern Territory Government authorities cannot forcibly remove residents from their homes, forcibly vaccinate residents against their will nor forcibly prevent residents from filming or photographing events in public places,” the Department said.
“Defence is supporting the Whole-of-Government response to COVID-19 under Operation COVID-19 ASSIST, providing support as requested by States and Territories through Emergency Management Australia,” it said.
“Primarily this support focuses on COVID testing, the welfare of community and supporting measures to slow the spread of the COVID.”
Defence said ADF personnel served in a supporting role to State and Territory authorities and were not empowered or authorised to conduct any law enforcement activities.
The Department said the ADF’s role was to assist Northern Territory authorities do the important work they needed to do in order to keep the community safe.
It said the ADF was not administering COVID-19 vaccines to the Australian public, however, ADF personnel previously supported administration of COVID-19 vaccines in aged and disability care facilities.
“Claims currently gaining prominence within various social media communities are deliberate disinformation based on a theme that has spread globally, been localised for effect, and results in significant and unwarranted concern among residents,” the Department said.
“We encourage all social media users to actively report these spurious claims as disinformation through the in-app reporting function,” it said.
