163 of the over 16 year old students at the St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill in Sydney’s lower north shore, received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in May 2021.
NSW Health said the doses were originally intended only for the Indigenous boarding students at the college.
The college has a large number of boys who live in a residential community, which includes boys from rural, remote and indigenous communities.
All Indigenous students between 16 and 19 are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine due to higher risks of transmission and severity of symptoms.
These students were administered the vaccine at a Sydney Local Health District centre determined by NSW Health.
Sydney Local Health District apologised for the error that caused the vaccine to be also given to non Indigenous students.
St Joseph’s College, an independent Roman Catholic single-sex secondary day and boarding school for boys, has over 1,000 students in total.