Teachers in elite Sydney schools offered Pfizer vaccine as thousands in hotspots remain at risk

Teachers in some of Sydney’s most exclusive private schools have been quietly offered the Pfizer vaccine raising questions about the equity of the rollout.

Pymble Ladies’ College Kate Hadwen says she ‘jumped’ at the opportunity to be given the vaccine doses from the doctor. Picture: Colin Murty

Some of Sydney’s private schools have been able to vaccinate their staff through internal programs, raising questions about the equity of the rollout as thousands of teachers in some of the city’s worst-hit areas remain unvaccinated and at risk.

Pymble Ladies’ College on the upper north shore has set up a ­private clinic on-site, after a local GP sent an email to the principal offering to keep aside Pfizer doses so they could be given to teachers.

The excess doses were offered to the school following the arrival of a large shipment of Pfizer vaccines, and have allowed all staff aged 40-59 to be given the opportunity to get vaccinated.

Barker College in Hornsby has also been vaccinating its staff after leaning on a relationship it has with a medical centre next to the school campus. The college, which is one of Sydney’s largest co-educational Anglican schools, has now achieved 60 per cent of staff partly vaccinated, and 30 per cent fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

Late on Wednesday evening last week, Knox Grammar School in upmarket Wahroonga offered private Pfizer vaccinations for staff aged 40 to 59 after it secured 25 doses from the nearby Lindfield Medical Centre.

Knox Grammar School at Wahroonga, in Sydney.

Pymble Ladies’ College set up a hub in the gymnasium and used its private nursing staff to facilitate the jabs.

All staff eligible were able to have their first doses in early ­August, with their second doses scheduled for the next pop-up hub on August 18. The staff were able to receive their jabs three weeks apart, while bookings at NSW government mass hubs have now been spaced out to six weeks between shots to help cope with strained Pfizer supply.

The school’s principal, Kate Hadwen, said she “jumped” at the opportunity to be given the doses from the doctor and was “really proud” to have been able to get them all done.

“As far as we’re concerned, we’ve vaccinated staff as per the NSW guidelines and it has not been inequitable. It was just opportunistic for us to support the government’s movement to help get people vaccinated,” she said. No staff under the age of 40 were offered the Pfizer vaccine, as per the NSW eligibility requirements. It was not mandatory for staff to receive the vaccine, and it was at no cost to the school.

 

Head of Barker College Phillip Health said the school had been vaccinating staff on Tuesday afternoons as part of its contribution to the national effort. “The school approached a nearby medical centre regarding vaccination for staff members who may be eligible under the NSW Health rollout and who may wish to be vaccinated,” he said.

“This program is in its fourth week and fully complies with regulations for eligibility.”

In an email seen by The Australian, Knox Grammer headmaster Scott James asked staff to register their interest in the clinic by the following morning, with the jabs set to be ­administered this Saturday.

NSW Teachers Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos criticised the schools’ private vaccination programs, saying many teachers in Sydney’s worst affected areas have still not been offered access to the vaccine.

Barker College at Hornsby.

While vaccination rates per profession is not publicly available, data released last week shows the North Sydney and Hornsby area has the highest vaccination rates in Greater Sydney, with 52 per cent of adults having at least a first dose.

The epicentre of the outbreak in southwest Sydney has the lowest inoculation rate in NSW with just 14.7 per cent fully vaccinated.

Mr Gavrielatos said vaccination must be prioritised for teachers most at risk of catching the virus across all impacted local government areas, and called on the government to intervene against inequitable distribution.