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This article was originally published on July 7th, 2021.
An Australian health official responded aggressively when asked if the government was “embarrassed” about mistakenly distributing Covid jabs to over 160 grade 12 students.
On Tuesday, New South Wales Health admitted students 16 years and older were mistakenly vaccinated at the elite St. Joseph’s College catholic boys’ school.
Pressed on the incident, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard took it personally.
“Minister Hazzard, how damaging is it for the public’s perception of the State Government’s vaccine rollout that NSW Health, your department, accidentally vaccinated 160 Joeys boys, and how embarrassed are you…” a reporter asked at a Wednesday press conference before being cut off.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard responds to a question about the 160 Sydney private school boys getting access to Pfizer jabs before vulnerable citizens.
"There was a mistake and so what? It's happened out of a million vaccinations, move on." pic.twitter.com/wKDtGjMvmE
— Josh Bavas (@JoshBavas) July 7, 2021
Annoyed by the inquiry, Hazzard turned the tables on the reporter, instead claiming the journalist was attacking hardworking frontline healthcare workers.
“What I find more embarrassing, James, is you’d make that sort of question/accusation against frontline health staff who work their butts off and who tomorrow will have achieved 1 million vaccinations in arms,” Hazzard said.
“You know what? The school intended it well. There was a mistake and so what? It’s happened out of a million vaccinations, move on.”
ABC.net.au reports: “Most Australians aged under 40 are not yet eligible for a Pfizer shot, but adults aged over 18-years-old have the option of talking to their GP about getting the AstraZeneca jab.”
According to Sydney Local Health District chief executive Teresa Anderson, the jabs were only meant for First Nations indigenous Aboriginal students, who are eligible to receive the jab with doctor’s permission.
“It was agreed that the Aboriginal students would be vaccinated through the state health system at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s vaccination hub,” Anderson said in a statement.
“Through an error, the wider group of boarders in year 12, a total of 163 students, were also vaccinated.
“Sydney Local Health District apologises for this error.”
Meanwhile, across the Tasman Sea, the New Zealand government announced it will soon begin “chasing out” people who still haven’t gotten the COVID-19 vaccine.
“I think early next year we’ll be in the phase of chasing out people who haven’t come forward to get their vaccination, or missed their bookings and so on,” NZ MP Chris Hipkins told reporters following a COVID press update.
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