The head of an Aboriginal medical service in central western New South Wales says vaccine supplies need to be consistent to keep the community’s trust in services.
The city of Orange, which is located about 260km west of Sydney and has an Indigenous population of approximately 6.3 per cent, reported another three cases of COVID-19 overnight, taking the number of active cases in the Local Government Area to 16.
The Orange Aboriginal Medical Service say they need at least 6,100 doses over a three-month period to provide clients with the two doses needed for protection.
CEO, Jamie Newman has been pleading for more vaccines for weeks, long before the Delta variant hit Orange.
He says they are allocated 240 doses per fortnight, but according to their calculations, they need another 900.
Alongside the shortage of vaccines, the number of doses that are delivered is inconsistent, which jeopardises their relationship with clients.
“We had overwhelming support for [vaccinations] but when we’re having 100 to 200 doses of vaccine delivered a fortnight, you can’t maintain connection with communities by offering something that’s not there,” he told ABC News.
“We have to be consistent, speaking the truth to our clients… saying in three weeks’ time we can give you your second dose.”
“If we don’t receive those vaccines we run the risk of disconnecting with our clients, and our community on taking the second dose.”
