(News.com.au) Heartless anti-vaxxers have hijacked the death of a much-loved British sports reporter who collapsed in Melbourne while covering the Australian Open.
The family of UK Daily Mail sports journalist Mike Dickson, 59, announced his sudden death late Wednesday evening.
“We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and Dad, Mike, has collapsed and died while in Melbourne for the Aus Open,” they shared in a statement.
“For 38 years he lived his dream covering sport all over the world. He was a truly great man and we will miss him terribly. Lucy, Sam, Ruby and Joe.”
Anti-vaxxers have now jumped on Dickson’s coverage of tennis legend Novak Djokovic’s refusal to get the Covid-19 vaccination during the pandemic in 2022.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner was deported from Melbourne for a breach of Australia’s border rules, despite claiming he had a valid medical exemption.
Acclaimed British tennis writer Mike Dickson died at the Australian Open. Picture: Supplied
“He (Djokovic) says he wants more information, but how much more does he need?” Dickinson wrote at the time.
“More than 10 billion doses have been administered worldwide, and there is now a wealth of evidence out there.
“There is the attempt in his interview with the BBC to distance himself from the anti-vax movement, yet Djokovic must have known that through his stance he would end up as one of its poster boys.”
Dickson’s death prompted vaccine sceptics on social media to take cheap shots at the late journalist.
“Journalist who tried to cancel Novak over not taking the Covid shots, collapses and dies suddenly. He was fully vaccinated,” Erin Elizabeth, a health blogger and anti-vaccine activist, said.
Anti-vaccine activists have hijacked the death of a much-loved sports reporter who died suddenly in Melbourne while covering the Australian Open.
Dr Simon Goddek, a prolific conspiracy theorist, lamented the reporter’s death as “irony”.
“The journalist who bullied Novak Djokovic for two years because he didn’t want to participate in the human experiment has now ‘suddenly and unexpectedly passed away’,” he wrote. “Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if he were unvaccinated.”
Sharing a screenshot of a Daily Mail article, Italian Architect, filmmaker and vaccine sceptic Robin Monotti, inferred a link between Dickson’s vaccination status and his death.
“The author of this article who used his platform to incessantly criticise and interfere in Novak Djokovic’s medical decisions with regards to the Covid-19 alleged vaccines collapsed and died suddenly.”
Dickson, with Andy Murray, was a favourite of the players. Picture: Supplied
