Revealed: Areas lagging despite 27K jab uptake in vax blitz

Despite latest data shows a regional vaccine blitz has bumped vaccination rates in key towns, two in every three council areas are still lagging behind the state average on Covid-19 protection. FIND OUT WHERE

Two in every three council areas in Queensland are still lagging behind the state average on Covid-19 protection, even as the latest data showed a regional vaccine blitz bumped rates in key towns.

But the Covid-19 jab gap between Aboriginal towns like Yarrabah and the rest of the state is widening, and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has signalled the government’s attention will this week turn to First Nations communities.

The weekend vaccination blitz, which involved pop-up clinics in more than 100 schools, was declared a success with nearly 27,000 people coming forward for their first jab.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with health workers in Mackay. Picture: Instagram @annastaciamp

The latest local government data shows Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone and the Whitsunday — stops on the Premier’s vaccine blitz — had the most noticeable bump in jab uptake.

Mackay, which previously trailed the rest of the state by about 10 percentage points, now has 71.2 per cent of its population aged 15 or older at least partially protected against Covid-19.

A total of 75.2 per cent of adult Queenslanders have now had at least one jab, though two out of every three council areas are trailing the state average with some like Charters Towers yet to even hit 60 per cent single dose coverage.

Mayor Frank Beveridge said the community had been a little bit “blasé” about Covid-19 as it “hadn’t affected their lives terribly”.

“A lot of people we’ve spoken to genuinely don’t believe it’s an issue and if there’s even a small impediment (in getting the jab) they won’t do it at all,” he said.

Maryborough has also been on the regional vaccination blitz trip. Picture: Instagram @annastaciamp

Cr Beveridge said implementing pop-up clinics at the town’s two supermarkets would help increase jab rates.

Ms Palaszczuk said while the blitz had been a success and the roadmap’s December 17 date for wider reopening of the border wouldn’t be rescheduled, jab rates still weren’t where they needed to be.

“We’ve got six days to get everyone to the rate where it’s going to be safe to open up,” she said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk visiting a vaccination clinic in Rockhampton. Picture: Jack Tran/Queensland Government

Ms Palaszczuk said her ministers who had travelled to Indigenous communities last week would now report back on how to improve vaccination rates there.

“They’ve got ideas about how we can increase the vaccination levels in some of our Indigenous communities.

“So, a lot of work that needs to happen and it’s great to see the federal government kicking in with a campaign to help out First Nations people.”

She said she would be speaking about what those ideas were during this week.