AMSANT calls for 90 to 95 per cent vaccination rate among Aboriginal Territorians before borders open

The Territory government is being urged to commit to a 90 to 95 per cent vaccination rate among Aboriginal Territorians to prevent or minimise the ‘deadly toll of Covid’.

THE peak body representing NT Aboriginal health services has called for the Territory government to adopt a 90 to 95 per cent First Nations vaccination threshold before opening borders.

On Thursday the Aboriginal Medical Medical Services Alliance NT’s (AMSANT) board made the call with endorsement from its membership, currently meeting in Darwin.

AMSANT chief executive John Paterson said a vaccination target of 90 to 95 per cent for all Aboriginal Territorians 12-years-old and over was required to “prevent or minimise the deadly toll of Covid in our communities”.

“The national target of 80 per cent vaccinations of eligible adults 16 years and older would be a disaster in our communities, which have a much younger age profile and would equate to only about 55 per cent of the total Aboriginal population vaccinated,” he said.

"At that level the virus would rip through our community like wildfire. With one of the world’s highest rates of chronic disease and very overcrowded housing, we cannot risk the devastation this would cause.”

AMSANT chief executive John Paterson.

Mr Paterson said more access to vaccines, more staff to undertake vaccination strategies and outreach, increased engagement to overcome hesitancy, financial and non-financial incentives and stronger vaccine promotions in language.

“Our health leaders are already rolling up their sleeves and leading the way in their communities, getting the message out,” he said. “But they need support and they need their health services to be resourced to do the job we know we can do.”

The Northern Land Council (NLC) also backed the calls, with the Barkly Regional Council of the NLC making two resolutions on Wednesday around minimum vaccination rates and data.

“We need higher vaccination rates in the NT because 80 per cent might be OK for the big cities out east but it is too low to protect Aboriginal people in remote communities,” NLC chair Samuel Bush-Blanasi said.

“We don’t need to name and shame individual communities, but if we don’t know what is happening in regions outside Darwin and Alice Springs then we won’t know where we need to focus and target our information promoting vaccination for our mob.” On Thursday Health Minister Natasha Fyles announced the Pfizer vaccine would be available for Territorians aged over 60 in the Greater Darwin area, with booking available from 9am Friday.