An Aboriginal medical service in Central Australia has suggested that the spread of misinformation about COVID-19 online may be a barrier to an effective roll-out of a vaccine in remote communities.
The comment follows recent criticism of a Federal Government MP who was spreading misinformation about the virus on social media.
The Federal Government has begun to advertise the importance of getting vaccinated through a mainstream campaign, however there are concerns the message isn’t reaching remote communities.
CEO of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Donna Ah Chee says there is now an important task of providing remote communities with correct information ahead of the vaccine roll-out.
An advisor to the national peak for Indigenous medical services says the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine in remote areas needs to cover the whole community at once.
Concerns have been raised about a shortage of medical personnel in remote communities.
Liz Moore from the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT says vaccinating a whole remote community makes sense when considering the logistics of having to return to communities for multiple doses.
Dr Jason Agostino is a medical advisor to the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
He says medical services need enough doses to cover all adults in a remote community.
