Barnaby Joyce claims the risk of getting blood clotting from the AstraZeneca vaccine is so low, that anybody not willing to take it shouldn't get in a car either.
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The bold statement was made after the federal government's decision to issue new advice last week, suggesting giving the vaccine to under-50s should be avoided.
The Member for New England told the Northern Daily Leader that in his opinion, the reward is worth the risk given the minute threat the jab poses compared to the dangers of contracting COVID-19.
"Any vaccine is going to have some ramifications, you might get the flu, there's a whole range of things and this one's no different," he said.
"But on balance of probability I'd be running with the vaccine but there's a risk, there's a risk in everything you do but a very, very small risk, we're talking a four-in-a-million risk."
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Despite this, he believes fellow Nationals member Matt Canavan is owed an apology, after people "belittled him" after raising concerns about the correlation between the vaccine and blood clotting.
He said the senator approached the issue from a statistical modelling standpoint and should not have been criticised as heavily as he was.
However, Mr Joyce believes anybody afraid to receive the AstraZeneca shot because of the chance of blood clotting should therefore also avoid taking to the roads.
"If a risk as small as that is a concern to you then don't ever get into a car, where the risk is vastly greater," he said.
If a risk as small as that is a concern to you then don't ever get into a car, where the risk is vastly greater
- MP Barnaby Joyce
The government's new nationwide advice will also affect the speed of the rollout, but Mr Joyce said that wasn't a major concern for the New England.
Phase 1B has already begun in Tamworth and surrounds with some of the area's most vulnerable vaccinated with their first jab against COVID-19.
"I went up to the Smith Street Practice the other day and saw people being vaccinated, generally older people so it is happening in our district and that's just one example of many," Mr Joyce said.
He said even if someone wanted to get COVID-19, they couldn't if they were in the region because it has gone almost an entire year without registering a positive case.
Australia is also able to afford a delay in the rollout, according to the local MP, given the work of the federal and state governments to stop the spread of the respiratory disease spiralling out of control.
