Vaccine rollout returns to Torres Strait
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Torres Strait will resume on May 17.
The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Torres Strait will resume on May 17, but health authorities are working to convince locals of the safety of the vaccine after rumours circulating through the community.
A freezer capable of storing the Pfizer vaccine at below minus 70C will arrive on Thursday Island on Friday.
The region had been identified as a priority for the rollout because of the greater risk COVID-19 poses to Indigenous people and its proximity to Papua New Guinea, where cases have skyrocketed.
The vaccine rollout there was suspended last month after concerns about blood clotting from the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Torres and Cape Health and Hospital Service is already planning community consultation sessions to rebuild confidence in the vaccine before immunisation teams arrive in the Torres Strait, and northern parts of Cape York.
Community leaders are concerned that fears among local residents about the purported risks in being given the vaccine will lead to vaccination rates dropping significantly.
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