Hotspots record spike in vaccination rates

The rate of vaccination in hotspot suburbs in Sydney’s southwest and west has been increasing 50 per cent faster than the statewide rate.

Residents queue up at the new vaccination hub next to the Greek Orthodox Church in Belmore on Wednesday. Picture: Nikki Short

The rate of vaccination in hotspot suburbs in Sydney’s southwest and west has been increasing 50 per cent faster than the statewide rate, as mosques and churches are converted into makeshift vax hubs and people flood pharmacies and walk-in clinics to get a jab.

There has been a major community effort aimed at addressing the barriers to vaccine access and misinformation about vaccines that was holding back many from getting their shots in the early stages of the vaccine rollout in Sydney’s west, and now the surging rates of vaccination in hotspot zones is seeing NSW deliver more than 100,000 vaccines a day, well ahead of Victoria’s 63,000.

Figures published by NSW Health show Fairfield, Punchbowl, Lakemba and surrounding suburbs had only between 10 and 19 per cent of people with a first dose of vaccine a month ago; now 40-49 per cent of people in those suburbs have had a first dose.

Rates of vaccination have also climbed by 30 per cent in the southwest Sydney suburbs of Cabramatta, Campsie and Bonnyrigg, as well as suburbs in the west of the city including Caddens, Glenmore Park, Currans Hill, Mount Annan and Eagle Vale.

The number of Covid-19 cases spiked on Wednesday, with 633 new infections recorded. Sydney’s southwest and western suburbs remain the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 550 cases.

There are currently 462 Covid-19 cases admitted to hospital in NSW, including 77 people in intensive care. Twenty-five patients require ventilation.

 

But the vaccine rollout has been picking up pace, with 1.7 million vaccines delivered in the past week. Nationwide, 49.5 per cent of people aged over 16 have now had a first dose of vaccine, with 27.5 per cent full vaccinated. NSW delivered 109,550 doses of vaccine on Tuesday, well ahead of Victoria which gave 63,740 shots and Queensland with 49,592.

Since the virus exploded in the southwest of Sydney, it has been steadily spreading as far west as Penrith. But there had been a high level of vaccine hesitancy within some communities in these suburbs and in particular a reluctance to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Now doctors and pharmacists say that a combination of increased access points, the leadership of community figures and the distribution of reliable health information in multiple languages has been turning that hesitancy around. People are also more afraid of catching the virus and are motivated to be vaccinated.

The NSW government a month ago moved to set up walk-in vaccination clinics in hotspot suburbs, and mosques and churches opened their doors to become makeshift vaccination hubs. The fact that pharmacies are also now delivering the AstraZeneca shot has meant that many people who had struggled to get a booking at a GP were more easily able to access vaccines.

The Lakemba Mosque is just one of the mosques and churches that have been converted into vaccination hubs in southwest Sydney. The pop-up hub has been a “brilliant success”, says Lebanese Muslim Association operations manager Ahmad Malas.

The clinic, which is run by the LMA and the Sydney Local Health District, was opened in early August to assist in vaccinating residents of southwest Sydney where Covid-19 is rampant.

Mr Malas said there had been 3000 people vaccinated within nine days. “The ramp up of vaccines in the area is because of clinics like these, because they are heavily accessible to the community,” he said. “People are comfortable to come here, because it is familiar, we speak the language and we are able to answer their questions. Then, they tell their family members, they go get vaccinated, and it works as a ripple effect.”

Mr Malas said including community groups in the vaccination process was “necessary” to having multicultural parts of Sydney inoculated. The Bankstown PCYC is another facility that has been turned into a pop-up vaccination hub and administered 1200 jabs on Wednesday when there were lines around the block. A similar initiative at the All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Belmore began on Wednesday.

Howard Reid, the church caretaker, said there was a “wonderful turnout” in the morning, with 500 people waiting vaccinations.

“People see their friends in the line and become keen to get the jab as well,” Mr Reid said.

“We had some older members who were asking why we had to get the church involved, but most were glad to have the opportunity to get the vaccination.”

The vaccinations are taking place in the gymnasium alongside the church. The initiative was supported by Labor MP Tony Burke, who said more pop-up clinics were needed to have the population vaccinated.

“There needs to be better official communication and better engagement with local leaders – but most importantly there needs to be more pop-up clinics,” he said.

“The more people see people they know getting vaccinated the more likely they are to get vaccinated themselves.”

Lakemba GP Fariha Dib said it was important for health professionals to be at the pop up clinics to show their support for the vaccine roll out. “I volunteered down at Lakemba Mosque to show the community why it is important,” Dr Dib said. “It is important for them to have the opportunity to ask their own questions in their own language.”

Dr Dib attributed the spike in vaccination rates in her local area to a boost in accessibility for the vaccines, as well as a change in attitude from the community.

“I think people have realised the seriousness of the situation but also there has been an increase in the mobile pop up clinic organised by the Sydney LHD in collaboration with the community organisations,” she said.

“These people aren’t anti-vaxxers at all, they just need the information provided to them in their own language and pop up clinics help us to do that.”

Pharmacies have also been swamped with people wanting a jab in southwest Sydney. Quinn On, a pharmacist in Cabramatta in Sydney’s southwest, said that when he began administering the jab three weeks ago, it was expected that his pharmacy would deliver 20 to 30 shots a day, but they ended up administering 200 vaccines a day.

“We had lines of up to 50 people waiting before we even opened our doors in the morning,” Dr On said. “A lot of people we were giving vaccinations to in the first two weeks were people who hadn’t been able to access a vaccination previously.”

Labor MP Jason Clare, whose electorate of Blaxland covers much of Sydney’s west, said the high vaccination rates were due to people becoming more afraid of contracting the virus.”

“A lot of people in the community are genuinely scared for their own safety,” he said. “That explains why the take-up rate has increased here in the last few weeks. It also helps to explain why we’ve had long queues at the first pop up clinics in Bankstown.”