Pharmacies on the Fleurieu have been sent threatening letters from conspiracy theorists who claim staff providing COVID-19 vaccines will be found guilty of treason and punished “to the full extent of the law”.

The rambling letters, which vary slightly from version to version, say staff will be “punished according to the will of God and the people who stand as his vice-regent”.

One South Coast pharmacist says his workplace has received a number of the letters.

“Obviously we don’t take it seriously,” he said, “But it’s concerning that people might really believe this.”

“You hear of people who have really gone down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories and you worry about their mental health and their grasp on reality.”

He says one of the letters he opened had “we see you” scrawled at the bottom. 

It was unsigned but was attributed to a “concerned, living woman”.

“Well, at least we know it came from a living woman,” the pharmacist said. “Otherwise, that could lead to people adding zombies into the conspiracies.”

The letters give pharmacy staff 72 hours to stop providing the vaccine saying it is a “crime against humanity in gross contravention of every law and every treaty ratified since World War Two”.   

The anonymous author says if pharmacists continue to administer the vaccine after this deadline, they are committing a crime and will be investigated in due course, found guilty and punished. 

The two-page document also says there is no evidence of a deadly pandemic, that lockdowns are “false imprisonment” and that a requirement to wear masks in public spaces and other areas is “psychological assault on the people”.

It then confusingly talks about the dissolution of the Federation and draws the conclusion that anyone administering the vaccine is a hostile agent, undertaking a hostile act and that their action is a declaration of open war. 

The letters give a return address of PO Box 4320, in Gumdale, which is an outer suburb of Brisbane. 

This address is linked to an organisation calling itself The Australia Project. 

Its website provide a number of form letters for people to download and send to pharmacists, doctors, military personnel and teachers.

Over 1000 people are currently in New South Wales hospitals with COVID, as a result of the state’s current outbreak. Over 190 are in intensive care with NSW Health confirmed this week that at least three of those are children, two of who are surviving on ventilators.

If you have questions about any COVID vaccines you can contact your GP, your pharmacist or visit the health section of The Conversation.