About 160 year 12 students at a prestigious Sydney school were given the Covid-19 Pfizer jab in what health officials have now admitted was an “error” because the rollout mainly allows for over 40s to get it.
St Joseph’s College at Hunters Hill asked Sydney Local Health District in May about the possibility of vaccinations for the students given many of them were boarders from remote, regional and Indigenous communities.
The health district’s Chief Executive Teresa Anderson said it was then agreed that Aboriginal students would be vaccinated through the state system at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s vaccination hub.
All Aboriginal people aged 16 to 49 years of age are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination because they have a higher risk of developing a severe disease from the virus.
“Through an error, the wider group of boarders in Year 12, a total of 163 students, were also vaccinated,” she said in a statement released on Tuesday night.
“Sydney Local Health District apologises for the error.”
In a statement seen by NCA NewsWire, school principal Ross Tarlington said NSW Health approved the administration of the vaccines through Sydney Local Health District.
“The college proceeded to make arrangements for the administration of the approved vaccine at a centre determined by NSW Health,” it said.
“Acknowledging that the college does not determine vaccination priority, it welcomed the opportunity to offer the vaccine for students given the approvals provided and for the reasons listed above.”
“The college will continue to encourage and support members of its community to receive the appropriate vaccine as the opportunity arises.”
It is understood the students received their first doses at the end of the last school term and were set to receive their second jabs when school resumed.
Only people aged between 40 and 60 were officially eligible to receive the Pfizer shot in NSW, as well as priority groups of other ages, such as people working in health or quarantine front lines, those with disabilities and household contacts and Indigenous people.
Four per cent of St Joseph’s students are Indigenous.
Australians aged under 40 can expect to become eligible for a Pfizer or Moderna shot about “September or October”, according to the head of the COVID-19 vaccine task force.
Lieutenant General John Frewen said on Tuesday younger Australians could also be given a choice as to which mRNA jab they received, once enough doses arrived and access was expanded.
“St Joseph’s College takes advice from NSW Health and follows public health orders regarding the Covid-19 pandemic,” Mr Tarlington wrote.
“The safety of our school and local community remains a key priority in all college decision making.”
The move sparked an angry reaction online, with some blasting it as “the height of privilege”.
Others criticised the move to inoculate students before frontline workers, or school teachers.
Deputy Nationals leader David Littleproud said he did not know the specifics of the vaccinations in this case.
“On the face of it, before we jump to conclusions, I think it is important to get to the facts of what’s happened at that particular school, particularly when you have remote students boarding,” Mr Littleproud told ABC.
“I, myself, was a boarding school student and when they return into remote communities that don’t have the tertiary health facilities to support those communities, some of these things can put lives at risk.
“So I would expect that the chief medical officer in NSW has made that determination on science and health factors rather than anything else.”
Do you know more? Email anthony.piovesan@news.com.au
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2021-07-06 08:48:45Z
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