‘Worried’ 40pc baulk at getting Covid jab

More than 40 per cent of Queenslanders surveyed by the state’s health department say they are reluctant to be given a COVID-19 vaccine, with most citing health risks as the main reason for their concern.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says Scott Morrison has enough information to approve the proposed Wellcamp quarantine facility. Picture: Dan Peled

More than 40 per cent of Queenslanders surveyed by the state’s health department say they are reluctant to get a COVID-19 vaccine, with most citing health risks as the main reason for their concern.

In a survey conducted by Queensland Health, only 59 per cent of respondents indicated they were likely to get the vaccine.

Among the 41 per cent indicating they were “unlikely” to do so, the greatest concern was potential side effects including blood clots, anaphylaxis and headaches.

Queensland Health officials are looking at devising a public health awareness campaign to encourage more people to get the jab as it already grapples with a slow rollout across the state.

Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk on Tuesday blamed the “decentralised” state for Queensland this week having the second lowest use — at 64 per cent — of its existing vaccination supply, behind only the Northern Territory.

The Queensland Health survey also showed 61 per cent of respondents would regret not being vaccinated against COVID-19 if they became infected and 72 cent said they would regret it if they infected someone else.

Ms Palaszczuk suggested the hesitancy was because of concerns about blood-clotting associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine and expected the resistance would decline in the last quarter of the year when hubs were set up to administer Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.

“I think people are going to be more encouraged to get that vaccine in the last quarter of the year when the hubs open up,” she said.

“When the hubs open up, and that’s exactly what we’re planning at the moment, for Moderna and Pfizer, I think you will see a big uptake of Queenslanders going to those hubs and getting a vaccine.”

Australian Medical Association Queensland president Chris Perry emphasised the AstraZeneca vaccine was “very safe for ­people over 50” and said general practitioners were “willing and able” to talk with patients about any concerns regarding vaccines.

He said it was only a matter of time before the virus returned to Australia. “COVID-19 vaccines will reduce severe illness, hospitalisation and death from the virus so it’s vital we immunise our community so they remain safe,” Dr Perry said.

“COVID is coming to our shores, it is just a matter of when — our only way to survive it when it comes is to be vaccinated.”

The vaccine hesitancy comes as the Palaszczuk government continues its push for a dedicated quarantine facility to be built near the Wellcamp airport west of Toowoomba.

Ms Palaszczuk has asked the Morrison government for a “similar” funding agreement for the proposed Wellcamp quarantine facility as the Howard Springs camp in the Northern Territory.

Scott Morrison has accused the Queensland government of withholding vital details about the proposal, but Ms Palaszczuk on Wednesday said the Prime Minister “doesn’t need any more detail”.

She said the federal government needed to provide assurances it would allow international flights to land at Wellcamp, but sources close to the project have told The Australian this permission already exists.

“There has been a lot of communication that has been happening between the departments on an ongoing basis,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“He does have a lot of detail and his department may not be briefing him about the extent of the communication that has been ­happening.”