The best way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to protect their communities is to get vaccinated as soon as possible, the director of Indigenous Health at Melbourne University says.
Data from the Australian Immunisation Register shows 129,723 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had received at least one dose of a vaccine as of the end of July – around 23 per cent of the eligible adult population.
39,000 people or just over seven per cent of people had received both doses of a vaccine.
Dr Ngaree Blow is a board member of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association and says vaccine misinformation has been an issue in Indigenous communities.
Dr Blow says, despite changing advice about the AstraZeneca vaccine, people should speak to their GP about what’s best for them.
“I think the best thing to do is really have a yarn with your GP or health professional and see what the recommendation is for you.
COVID-19 is not going away, and the best way for us to protect our community, our elders and our families is to get vaccinated.
Our communities have been doing an excellent job so far and that’s why we haven’t had any deaths from COVID-19 and getting both doses of the vaccines can really help us to keep this momentum going.”
Listen to more of our interview with Dr Ngaree Blow below or catch it on our Weekly News in Review program this week.
