Nearly 40 per cent of Aboriginal clients reject Covid jab amid vaccination blitz in Central Australia

Despite being offered an incentive in the form of a food voucher, high numbers of Aboriginal clients in Central Australia are refusing the Covid-19 vaccination.

AUSTRALIA’S largest Indigenous health organisation has revealed that, since August 30, almost 40 per cent of its clients have refused the Covid vaccine when it was offered to them.

That’s despite clients being offered a $25 food voucher if they get vaccinated.

Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) chief executive Donna Ah Chee said since launching a six-week vaccination blitz just over a week ago, 33 per cent of clients said “not today” when offered the jab, and a further four per cent said “no, not ever”.

The data relates to all CAAC clinics across remote areas of Central Australia as well as in Alice Springs, where the organisation is based.

“We implemented this system as it has become clear there are many different reasons for vaccine hesitancy and we need to know exactly what we’re dealing with in order to better address the concerns,” Ms Ah Chee said.

Central Australian Aboriginal Congress chief executive Donna Ah Chee. Photo: Emma Murray.

However, Ms Ah Chee said the organisation was making “good progress” towards achieving its goal of vaccinating 50 per cent of its eligible Central Australian town-based clients by the end of the blitz.

“People seem to be responding well to us being in the community, normalising the vaccine conversation and the vaccine itself,” she said.

“We are giving more than 50 vaccines per day and at this rate we are on track to achieve our goal at the end of the six-week blitz. We will then decide whether we continue for longer based on the results.”

It comes amid growing discrepancies in the true vaccination rate of remote NT communities.