Fewer than one in three in Qld far north have received Covid-19 booster

Fewer than one in three people have had a Covid-19 booster shot in Queensland’s far north, the state’s latest vaccination figures have revealed.

Fewer than one in three people have had a Covid-19 booster shot in Queensland’s far north, the state’s latest vaccination figures have revealed.

Just over half of the state is now up-to-date with their Covid vaccinations, with experts warning there has been complacency from Queenslanders around the third jab.

The latest data from Queensland Health shows that some regions are falling behind in booster jab rates, particularly in the Torres Strait and Cape area, where just 33.1 per cent of people over the age of 12 are now up-to-date.

Experts say the number of people getting boosted needs to grow if further waves of Covid-19 can be contained. Picture: Scott Olson/Getty Images/AFP

Meanwhile, rural areas seem to have been more responsive to the government’s calls to get boosted with 62.7 per cent of the Central West and 57.4 per cent of the South West regions having the third jab.

The data, which was broken down by hospital and health service area as of April 3, shows Brisbane has among the highest rates of up-to-date residents, with Metro North and Metro South at 56.8 per cent and 51.9 per cent respectively.

Along with the Torres and Cape region, North West was the only other region that was significantly behind with just 38.1 per cent of those in the Mount Isa and surrounding areas to get the booster.

University of Sunshine Coast lecturer and infectious diseases expert Matthew Mason said Queenslanders treated the urgency of the third jab differently to the second.

“There is a bit of complacency, because when boosters came into Queensland, we were already rolling back restrictions and starting that journey back to normal,” he said.

“I think people didn’t think they needed their boosters … But it’s one of the many things that is needed to take control over the next wave.”

South Brisbane’s Ebony Sheehan and Brandon Lehmann had their Covid-19 boosters on Wednesday. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Mr Mason said ideally the rate should be higher and potentially match what we’re already seeing with people who are double dosed.

“Obviously there’ll be that three month delay between the second dose and the third dose, but our boosters should be matching our double dosed rate. It should be at 90 per cent,” he said.

Brandon Lehmann and his partner Ebony, from South Brisbane, received their booster shots on Wednesday and said there was definitely a lack of urgency from their end.

Booster rate by region for those aged 12 and over as of April 3

Cairns and Hinterland 50%

Central Queensland 45.2%

Central West 62.7%

Darling Downs 53.5%

Gold coast 44.7%

Mackay 43.8%

Metro North 56. 8%

Metro South 51.9%

North West 38.1%

South West 57.4%

Sunshine Coast 53.2%

Torres and Cape 33.1%

Townsville 51.4%

West Moreton 47.3%

Wide Bay 56.7%

Total 51.4%