Covid-19 vaccine rates: Regional Victoria ahead of Melbourne
Some regional areas have passed the 50 per cent threshold for receiving one vaccination dose. SEE THE DATA
Regional Victoria is ahead of Melbourne in the race to get vaccinated against coronavirus, with new data out today showing strong take-up rates.
Geelong, Bendigo as well as Warrnambool and south-west Victoria have all passed the 50 per cent threshold for receiving one vaccination dose.
Bendigo is the lead performer in this category with 52.6 per cent of people aged 15 years or older having received their first dose as of August 1.
Warrnambool and south-west Victoria is in second place in the first dose stakes at 51.6 per cent while Geelong is in third spot at 51.4 per cent.
Other parts of regional Victoria are close to reaching the halfway mark for those 15 years or older with the Hume region at 49.9 per cent, the Latrobe Valley at 48.8 per cent and Ballarat at 48.1 per cent.
By comparison, the inner Melbourne region stands at 37.7 per cent, while most parts of the state capital hover in the 40s percentile.
The data was released by the Federal Health Department this morning. It paints a very different picture to figures obtained by The Weekly Times last month.
Some of the urban-rural divide is related to demographics — metropolitan Melbourne has a younger average age than regional Victoria with the elderly and middle aged prioritised for vaccination.
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