Man reveals why he self-administered Covid vaccine at Coolalinga clinic

A man who self-administered the Covid-19 vaccine at a Top End clinic has issued a statement apologising to health workers but not apologising for his actions.

UPDATE: THE man who grabbed a syringe and self-administered the Covid-19 vaccine at a Coolalinga vaccination centre has apologised to health staff, saying he understood how his actions could have come across as “threatening”.

In a statement provided to the NT News, the man, who did not want to be named, said he begrudgingly got the vaccine because he was pro-vaccination but anti-mandate.

The full statement is published below.

It comes a day after he revealed he wrote ‘under duress’ on his consent form while lining up to get the jab on Tuesday.

Just hours after the ordeal, the man revealed he was receiving the vaccine because he wanted to be reunited with his son, who he hasn’t seen in two years.

The man said he grabbed the syringe but denied having touched a worker. Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)

On Wednesday, he also claimed his wife had been banned from NT Health vaccination clinics over the incident. He urged the government to reconsider, saying his wife could lose her job if she isn’t fully vaccinated by December 25.

He rejected Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker’s earlier statement on Tuesday morning that he had pushed a nurse during the ordeal.

HIS FULL STATEMENT:

I am not sorry about my actions yesterday. I would like to clear a few things. I am not in any way shape or form an anti-vaxxer. Vaccines save lives.

I am fully vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, Hep A and B and so on.

And now even Covid-19.

However I believe people should have the right to choose.

In the case of a Covid-19 vaccine, my decision was not one of health or choice. It was a coerced decision based on my declassification of human and removal of my human right to travel freely within my own country.

I was not willing to sign my consent without it reflecting the coercion used to make me consent, and I stand by that action.

I would like to point out that while I was clearly agitated by the government’s “my terms or no terms policy”, it was not fair on the health staff.

Although I did not touch, assault or threaten to assault, I can imagine how threatening I appeared when I grabbed the syringe from the table.

I would like to formally apologise for my aggressive actions to the staff and security at Coolalinga Walkin Clinic and acknowledge their professionalism.

UPDATE: A HEARTBROKEN father desperate to reunite with his son has revealed why he self-administered the Covid-19 vaccine.

The man, who did not want to be named, told the NT News he attended the Coolalinga vaccine clinic on Tuesday morning to receive his second dose of the vaccine.

At the clinic, the man wrote ‘under duress’ on his consent form and claims staff refused to administer the vaccine because of this, urging him instead to fill out a new form without ‘under duress’.

The man said when he received his first dose, he also wrote ‘under duress’ on the consent form and said it was accepted.

The man said claims that he pushed a health staffer’s hand away and grabbed the needle from them were incorrect.

“I didn’t assault anyone, I didn’t push a hand away,” he said.

“They were nowhere near the needle. I didn’t threaten to assault. I grabbed the needle and they took three steps back, which I’d expect from trained health staff.

“All I did was stick it in myself and put it in the biohazard bin. Then I left the clinic.

“Now they’re refusing to update my status.”

The man said while he did not support the NT government’s vaccine mandate, chose to receive the jab in order to travel interstate to see his estranged son.

He said he’d made desperate attempts to see his son over the last two years but had been unable to due to Covid.

“I just want to see my boy,” said the man, in tears.

“We’ve been estranged for such a long time. He doesn’t know who I am. It’s an opportunity to learn who I am.”

The man said the vaccine mandate had taken a significant toll on his mental health.

HIs partner also said she had been refused her second dose of the vaccine, after attending the Coolalinga clinic in response to the incident and in an attempt to receive her next dose.

She said her livelihood depended on her being fully vaccinated.

“Do I get an exemption because they’re refusing me?” she asked.

The NT government has been contacted for further comment.

EARLIER: A MAN who pushed away the hands of a medical staffer and injected himself with the Covid-19 vaccine has been fined for disorderly behaviour.

Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said on Tuesday morning a man who went to receive the vaccination at Coolalinga became agitated with the process.

“A gentleman appeared there, indicating that he was not overly happy with the process and that caused a bit of a disturbance,” he said.

“He pushed one of the hands away of one of our staff and grabbed the needle and injected himself with the vaccine.

“That’s not appropriate behaviour. That's not behaviour we should be tolerating and he’s been issued an infringement notice for disorderly behaviour.

“Again, vaccination staff are there to help you. They shouldn’t have to be subjected to that type of behaviour. It just cannot be tolerated.”

Originally published as Man reveals why he self-administered Covid vaccine at Coolalinga clinic