‘500th time I’ve said this’: NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard erupts after vaccine question
A question about the vaccine rollout got under the skin of the NSW Health minister as the state recorded another dark day.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard hit back at Monday’s press conference when he was asked a question about the vaccine rollout, claiming he was repeating himself for the “500th time”.
A reporter questioned the health leader about whether anyone older than 16 was now eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in NSW, in line with similar announcements made in other states like Victoria and South Australia, and if there was enough of the vaccine to fulfill this demand.
Mr Hazzard clarified everyone was now eligible, but to the second question, answered: “No.”
“Let’s make it very, very clear, even though this might be about the 500th press conference where we have said this … AstraZeneca is in abundant supplies but Pfizer is not,” he said.
“AstraZeneca is a perfectly good vaccine. It has been used right across the world and when we are in an outbreak of the virus (my advice is), get whatever vaccine you can get.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday more than 6.8 million people had received at least one dose of the vaccine in NSW.
“As I have been saying for the last couple of weeks, while it is important for us to reduce case numbers, we know the greatest way to do that is getting vaccinated,” she said.
“Vaccination is the key in terms of our freedom and reducing the spread of the virus.”
NSW has recorded 1290 Covid-19 infections and four deaths overnight while a Sydney paramedic made a series of heartbreaking confessions about working on the frontline.
The virus is spreading rapidly across Sydney, but particularly in the city’s southwest and west.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Joe Ibrahim described the tragic reality of working on the frontline during a pandemic, but said it was an encounter with a teenage boy that really hit home.
He said he was recently called to a home in western Sydney where a single mother was living with her teenage son and daughter.
“She was deteriorating. We provided her critical treatment but while doing so her son made a comment to me and that comment was: ‘I think this is my fault. I think I have given mum Covid’,” he said.
“That stopped my team in our tracks and absolutely broke our hearts. Unfortunately, this incident is not isolated.”