85 per cent of Aussies need jab for herd immunity according to JCU researchers

JCU researchers have concluded that 85 per cent of Aussies would need the jab to achieve herd immunity against Covid.

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AUSTRALIA will need to vaccinate at least 85 per cent of the population to achieve herd immunity according to new modelling from James Cook University scientists.

The latest figures come as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed on Monday, Queensland recorded seven new Covid cases – four locally acquired and three detected in hotel quarantine.

The JCU scientists have warned the path to herd immunity has become harder due to the delta variant of the virus.

Infectious Diseases Epidemiology and Modelling, Professor Emma McBryde, who works out of JCU’s Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine said the federal government’s four-step plan would transition from suppression of Covid to a strategy of reopening and a return to normal life.

“The first hurdle is to vaccinate to achieve herd immunity, however herd immunity has become more difficult to achieve with the delta variant, as this variant is both more infectious and less amenable to vaccination,” Prof McBryde said.

Professor Emma McBryde photo: Budd Photography

She said the AITHM team were working with countries around the region to investigate herd immunity thresholds and optimise global vaccine distribution.

“We show that assuming a reproduction number (the number of people infected by someone carrying the virus) for the delta variant of 4, we would need to vaccinate 85 per cent of the Australian population using the current strategy,” she said.

She said if vaccine coverage was targeted to the most infectious ages, Australia could achieve herd immunity by vaccinating 75 per cent of the population. But his was regarded as unrealistic because almost 100 per cent of the 20 to 60-year age groups would need to be vaccinated.

James Cook University epidemiologist Michael Meehan and Professor of Infectious Diseases Modelling and Epidemiology Emma McBryde had co-authored a paper strategies to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have also shown that even without herd immunity, vaccinated people are protected against severe disease and much less likely to be hospitalised or die,” she said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk looks on at a press conference in Brisbane. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Jono Searle

Despite the large number of cases announced on Monday, Ms Palaszczuk said it was “good news” they were all linked.

The Queensland Government confirmed over 615,000 vaccination doses had been administered by state run clinics since the vaccine rollout began, with 92,000 jabs given in the past week.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said almost 230,000 people were booked in for Covid vaccinations through a state-run community hub.

Originally published as 85 per cent of Aussies need jab for herd immunity according to JCU researchers