Mackay Whitsunday Isaac named Queensland’s three least Covid-19 vaccinated regions

We need to ‘get off Facebook, stop listening to conspiracy theories’ as the Mackay, Whitsunday and Isaac regions let down Queensland in the fight against Covid.

LiveLife Bowen pharmacist Emma Lyons administering a Covid-19 vaccination on August 3, 2021. Picture: Kirra Grimes

Mackay Whitsunday and Isaac are letting the team down when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination rates.

They are home to the three least vaccinated populations in the state, with newly released government data revealing just 10.2 per cent of residents have had two shots of a Covid-19 vaccine and only 27.1 per cent have had at least one jab.

That is compared to the most vaccinated region in Queensland, Brisbane’s West, where one in every four people aged over 15 in the region (24.5 per cent) have had two shots of a Covid-19 vaccine and 46.2 per cent have had at least one jab.

It is a situation the region’s healthcare providers say puts at risk our most vulnerable – including babies, the elderly, people with underlying health conditions, and others who are “reliant on the community to keep them safe”.

Now, with the threat of an outbreak creeping closer, health professionals including GPs and pharmacists have united in a push to turn things around.

The message from Mackay medical practice manager Emma Pullen was “people need to make the best decision for them but also for their community”.

Ms Pullen believed complacency was a big factor in regional residents’ reluctance to roll up their sleeves, describing them as being under a “Covid safe bubble” that has “been able to handle the circumstances around Covid fairly well” to date.

Bowen pharmacist Rebecca Edgerton’s said the lack of alternatives to the AstraZeneca vaccine had been preventing younger residents in her region coming forward for a jab, saying this cohort was “definitely waiting for Pfizer” to become more widely available.

LiveLife Bowen pharmacist Rebecca Edgerton urges people to consult reputable sources for Covid-19 vaccine information. Picture Kirra Grimes

Both agreed social media was contributing to vaccine hesitancy in the regions, and urged residents to turn to trained health professionals to get the right advice.

Ms Edgerton encouraged patients to follow “good data” such as the latest information from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, ATAGI, which the LiveLife pharmacies provided to all patients considering vaccination.

“People always have questions, but before we administer the vaccine to them, we go through a list of questions and discuss this with each patient,” Ms Edgerton said.

“There’s not many people we’ve seen that are unsuitable [for AstraZeneca] and if there’s any doubt we’ll refer back to their GP to get the OK so we can be certain it’s safe.”

Ms Pullen was adamant anyone “sitting on the fence” should “get off Facebook, stop listening to conspiracy theories, look at the real evidence, and talk to people who’ve got degrees who are well educated in those areas”.

“People have got a choice, and that’s a wonderful thing about Australia that we do give people the choice, but people really need to think about it and weigh up the risks,” Ms Pullen said.

“There’s so many people in our communities that are vulnerable and don’t have the same choices – they are reliant on people that are vaccinated.”

Ms Pullen said the Sydney Street team had administered more than 800 AstraZeneca vaccines since late April, while Ms Edgerton said Bowen’s two pharmacies have administered about 1400 AstraZeneca vaccines since early June.

It was “anyone’s guess” when more Pfizer supplies would become available, Ms Pullen said, asking for understanding that staff were trying their best to make bookings and answer inquiries in the face of ever-changing government advice.

“We know everyone’s scared and angry and confused, but the constant abuse when people can’t a booking or can’t get Pfizer … We’re just exhausted from it,” she said

“People need to understand that we’re humans as well and there’s only so much we can take.”

To encourage more people to come forward for AstraZeneca, Ms Edgerton said the booking process at her pharmacy was easy, with same day appointments often available, and just a 15-minute monitoring period afterwards.

Wherever you go for it, Ms Pullen said, just do it.

“Start getting vaccinated because there's lots of options out there,” she said.

“People need to go out and do it, not just for themselves but for their communities, for their loved ones, and for the vulnerable populations.”