Professor Catherine Bennett continued her busy schedule of radio, tv, print and online interviews and appearances, taking part in 24 interviews in one day at the end of the month to talk about the emerging Omicron variant. She also wrote two pieces explaining why Omicron is a source of unease and why a new variant means getting used to ‘dial up, dial down’ controls and was one of three experts included in a Fortune.com story on the implications of Omicron. Other topics throughout the month included vaccination rates, booster shots, vaccination for children and easing of restrictions in Victoria. She appeared on DW TV Germany discussing Australia’s successes in handling the pandemic, and was also quoted in a number of articles about Europe’s fourth wave of COVID, UK vaccination rates and Europe’s scramble to ‘save Christmas amid COVID surge’. Catherine stood in for program regular Dr Norman Swan on ABC Sydney Breakfast to provide a COVID update and was among a number of experts whose opinions were canvassed for a Herald Sun feature on whether children aged between 5 and 11 should be vaccinated. She was also a quoted expert in a number of other articles, including Ethics, the law and public health: Experts weigh in on McGowan’s vaccine mandate and analysed this year’s Sydney and Melbourne Delta outbreaks for Crikey.com.
A/Prof Kathryn Backholer’s three-year study monitoring 7000 products at Coles and Woolworths found that panic buying during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a lasting impact on food prices. The research was featured in a Herald Sun article, an interview on Nightlife with Philip Clark on ABC Perth, Seven News and Weekend Sunrise, The Marty Sheargold Show on Triple M Melbourne, ABC Gold Coast, Nine News and articles in The Mercury and syndicated outlets, Your Life Choices and Remo News. Kathryn also spoke to Hilary Harper on ABC Life Matters about digital disruption and health.
Professor Nikki Phillips co-wrote an article for the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal about midwifery students’ reflections on ‘being with woman’.
