Premier Gladys Berejklian giving COVID vaccines to Sydney HSC students with Belmont hub doses 'creates second class citizens'

Mrs Olds was among Hunter and Central Coast residents who had their Pfizer shots cancelled at the hub.

She has type 2 diabetes, so qualifies for a vaccine as a priority under the 1b phase.

Hunter New England Health said at the weekend that the bookings of priority groups and those waiting for second shots were "unintentionally" cancelled.

"We wish to assure them that their appointments will be rebooked," it said in a statement on Sunday.

Mrs Olds has since contacted the health department to have her bookings reinstated.

Belmont Vaccination Hub's administration team emailed her, saying: "It would be helpful if you could get a referral from your GP with the health conditions you mentioned".

"We could then have one of our doctors review your case."

A second message to Mrs Olds from the Belmont hub stated: "I can confirm we already have you placed in our priority list for review of cancelled appointments".

"Those that have had their appointment cancelled will be contacted in the coming days to facilitate the rebooking of your appointment."

Mrs Olds believed these messages amounted to "another stalling tactic".

"Now you've basically got to justify why you had the bookings in the first place. They're basically making you jump through hoops.

"They're basically saying even though you were allowed to book it in the first place, prove it now.

"Fortunately my doctor was able to provide something fairly quickly."

Mrs Olds questioned why the Belmont hub didn't simply inform her how to reinstate her bookings.

"You're on a list now. You're not even guaranteed that you won't end up at the end of the queue," she said.

Hunter Health officials, however, insist that they are working through the problems and that priority groups who were previously booked will have their vaccines reinstated. "We're doing our best to correct that. I understand it's frustrating for people. There's a lot that's out of our control," one official said.

Hunter health officials were blindsided when the Berejiklian government took Belmont hub vaccinations to give to Year 12 students in eight local government areas most affected by COVID-19.

NSW Health stated at the weekend that "anyone who has had their first dose already or those in priority groups 1a or 1b will not have their bookings rescheduled".

This promised that these bookings would be honoured and mistaken cancellations would be reinstated.

Swansea MP Yasmin Catley said "Hunter New England Health must reinstate those appointments as a matter of priority".

"People should not have to jump through any hoops whatsoever," said Ms Catley, the Shadow Minister for the Hunter.

"The decision to cancel these appointments has provoked mass outrage among the community, who feel they are being treated as second class citizens."

Asked about the Belmont hub debacle, Liberal upper house MP Taylor Martin, the parliamentary secretary for the Hunter, said: "Hunter New England Health has said the following previously: 'Those who have had a first Pfizer dose will receive their scheduled second dose. Those in priority groups 1a and 1b, such as healthcare or aged care workers will also be unaffected'.

"All of our vaccine hubs across the district provide AstraZeneca, except for Belmont where it will become available in the coming weeks."

Mrs Olds said it sounded like "the regions are being starved of the Pfizer vaccine".

"They want people to take AstraZeneca. That's quite obvious," she said.

She said this appeared to be happening "irrespective of what people's health conditions are".

"It would take 14 weeks to become fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca, which might be 14 weeks people don't have."

Ms Catley has written to Premier Gladys Berejiklian, calling on her to overturn the NSW government's decision to cancel Pfizer appointments at the Belmont mass vaccination hub, focusing on those in priority groups and awaiting second doses.

Mrs Olds noted that the Premier said "once they get 50 per cent vaccination rates, they can relax some laws".

"But the regions will be unvaccinated, which is making me even more nervous."

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