Data reveals SA has second worst vax rate in nation for 12-to-15-year-olds

SA is second last in the nation when it comes to vaccinating young teens but you’ll soon be seeing students lining up at marquees on school ovals to get the jab.

Vaccine clinics at South Australian schools will be announced within days as the state continues to grapple with some of the lowest vaccination rates among 12-to-15-year-olds in the country.

Premier Steven Marshall said an announcement on a targeted school vaccination program would be coming “shortly”.

It is understood the program – initially to be rolled out in northern Adelaide schools and communities where vaccination rates are lagging – could include setting up marquees on ovals to administer jabs.

SA has the second lowest double jab rate of people aged 12 to 15 in the country, with 3.17 per cent of the teen population vaccinated, according to federal government data as of Sunday night.

Western Australia has the lowest number in the nation with just 2.52 per cent of teens vaccinated.

Amy Ware with her son, Atticus, 12. Picture: Morgan Sette

More than 17 per cent of Northern Territory residents aged 12 to 15 have received two jabs, while 16.18 per cent of New South Wales teenagers and 7.32 per cent of Victorian teens are fully vaccinated.

“We have been talking with schools about how we can make vaccination easier and more accessible for students and we expect to make more announcements shortly,” Mr Marshall said.

In addition to lagging on double jab rates, SA has the third lowest numbers in the country of teenagers with one jab, narrowly beating Tasmania and WA at 26.71 per cent. NSW and Victoria have 67.97 per cent and 63.64 per cent of 12-to-15-year-olds with one jab respectively.

Opposition Health spokesman Chris Picton said vaccination clinics should have been implemented months ago.

“Since after the Modbury cluster we have been calling on the Liberal Government to introduce a plan for school clinics for 12-17 year olds, but sadly we haven’t seen any action,” he said.

“We still don’t have any mass vaccination clinics in either the western or north-eastern suburbs. We urgently need to make it as easy as possible for teenagers to get vaccinated to address our sluggish rate.”

Australian Medical Association SA president Dr Michelle Atchison said the AMA was “very supportive” of vaccination hubs in schools and remote areas, where jabs have not made their way into enough arms.

Premier Steven Marshall said school clinics are imminent. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Mariuz

Dr Michelle Atchison. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

“I think it’s a fantastic idea to be able to capture the group where they are all at once,” she said. Dr Atchison said more focus should also be placed on schools and broader regional communities in country SA, where rates were low.

“The other thing the AMA is very concerned about of course is rural areas, shown by the outbreak in Mt Gambier, that they weren’t prepared for needing high vaccination rates,” she said.

“People who live in rural areas and Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander people and children, we really need some process to target them as much as possible.”

Australia opened Pfizer availability to anyone aged 12 and over almost a month ago, on September 13.

AMA vice president Dr Chris Moy said inaccessibility to Pfizer at the time, due to competition with over 60s who were at a higher risk of infection and serious health issues, caused a low rate in teenagers.

Amy Ware, who works for Labor Senator Marielle Smith, said she and her husband decided to have their son Atticus, 12, vaccinated to see their family in Melbourne.

“My husband and I got vaccinated as soon as we could be and it just made sense to get Atticus vaccinated too,” she said.

“We’re doing it because we want to protect our family and community.”