Covid superspreader event may be only thing to push Qld to 90 per cent fully vaccinated

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath has conceded the state’s surge towards the 90 per cent fully vaccinated mark was slowing and a spike in cases might be the best motivation for the unvaccinated to come forward. VOTE IN THE POLL

It could take a Covid superspreader to convince reluctant Queenslanders to get vaccinated and help the state hit the 90 per cent double-jabbed target, according to the Health Minister and leading disease experts.

Predictions on when Queensland will reach 90 per cent – viewed as the trigger point for the further easing of restrictions, have fluctuated wildly, with the latest projection estimating the target would be reached some time in mid-January.

While Queensland will hit 80 per cent in a matter of days, the next 10 per cent may be achieved only if the state faces a surge in Covid cases once interstate travellers arrive en masse.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that she expected first doses to reach 90 per cent around Christmas, with 90 per cent to be fully vaccinated by mid-January, compared with previous predictions of early-January.

Queensland Health Minister Yvette D’Ath conceded the state’s surge towards 90 per cent was slowing and a spike in cases might be the best motivation for the unvaccinated to come forward.

“The first doses have slowed a little,” she said.

“Sadly, I do think once we start getting cases, we will see an uptake.

“That’s good news that we’ll see an uptake in vaccinations, it’s sad that we might have to wait for that to see a big surge.

“I’m confident when our borders open at 1am next Monday and our social measures come in on the 17th of December that the last few people who are still to get vaccinated will understand the importance of coming out and getting vaccinated quickly.”

University of Queensland infectious disease expert Dr Paul Griffin said a surge in case numbers would be a strong incentive for people still unsure about the jab to get vaccinated.

“We’ve seen increases in vaccination rates follow clusters of cases, or the announcement of vaccine mandates and I think it will take some of these events to convert those who are yet to be vaccinated,” he said.

“When we start to see an increase in cases and local transmission, we will most likely see another jump up in vaccination rates.”

His view was shared by Professor Robert Booy from the University of Sydney, who said vaccine rates would “almost certainly” increase with the threat or ­realisation of a major outbreak in Queensland.

“There’s no doubt people are driven to vaccinate by imminent threat of an outbreak as we saw with rates in Sydney and Melbourne,” he said.

“Vaccine hesitancy dropped from 30 per cent to less than 10 per cent in under three months when those states were faced with major outbreaks.”

However, he also said the importance of reaching a 90 per cent vaccination rate was being overstated.

“If you hit 88 per cent, it’s not going to make much difference getting that extra 2 per cent because by then you have done pretty much all you need to do,” he said.