❓ The Premier addresses efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among Aboriginal people in remote WA, highlighting the importance of vaccination and outlining government initiatives while urging cross-party support.
AnsweredQoN 812Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS
— VACCINATIONS — ABORIGINAL PEOPLE
812. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Premier:
I also refer to the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination
program and this government's commitment to getting as many eligible Western Australians vaccinated as
possible. Can the Premier provide more details to the house on work underway to boost vaccination rates among
Aboriginal people in remote and regional communities across the state?
— VACCINATIONS — ABORIGINAL PEOPLE
812. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Premier:
I also refer to the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination
program and this government's commitment to getting as many eligible Western Australians vaccinated as
possible. Can the Premier provide more details to the house on work underway to boost vaccination rates among
Aboriginal people in remote and regional communities across the state?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Kimberley for the question. Today we
had another stark reminder of the threat to the state that COVID-19 poses. Victoria announced 19 deaths today. According to the
Victorian Chief Health Officer, 17 of the people who died were not
vaccinated. We are also seeing COVID-19 getting into some of the remote communities in the Northern Territory. The outbreak
there has grown to 40 people; so the risk of COVID-19 is still there,
particularly for regional and remote communities. That is why vaccination is so
important.
On Thursday and Friday, I was in the Pilbara with the
Commissioner of Police launching our focus on increasing vaccination rates
amongst regional communities, especially Aboriginal communities. The fact of
the matter is that the Pilbara in particular is currently too low in its
vaccination rate. I attended a number of round tables and visited a number of vaccination centres and hospitals
whilst I was there. I did a range of media engagements, as did the police commissioner, to seek to lift the vaccination rate in the Pilbara. But the fact
of the matter is that if we do not get the vaccination rates up in these
regional communities by the time the borders come down in late January or early February, we will have to put restrictions
on who can go into those communities. Most likely, only the double-jabbed ,
double-vaccinated people will be able to go in there. That is the reality that
people in the Pilbara face. I just urge them to lift their vaccination rate as
a consequence of that.
Vaccinating Aboriginal communities is actually the
responsibility of the commonwealth government under the national agreement, but
we are doing everything we can to help lift the vaccination rate out there. As
of yesterday, a five-week community effort is underway. It will involve a large
number of in-reach programs that will focus on bringing the vaccine directly
into those communities. House-to-house visits and vaccinations for hospital
inpatients and outpatients will be part of the program. It will be community
led and involve local Aboriginal leaders and advisers. The Vaccine Commander,
Chris Dawson, has already undertaken a huge amount of engagement. I must say
that he has done an outstanding job. He has been listening to those communities
to boost the rate of Aboriginal vaccination across the state.
The Aboriginal vaccination
rate is still around only 50 per cent first dose. I will continue visiting
regional communities and promoting vaccination, the police commissioner
will do the same, and our Aboriginal staff and advisers will do the same. We will do everything we can to
promote it and lift the vaccination rate. I would encourage all members of Parliament to do exactly the same thing—to lift the vaccination
rate, particularly amongst Aboriginal people. I will close on this: it would be
great once again if the state opposition—the Liberals and Nationals—could
actually help with this, rather than trying to score political points all the
time.
had another stark reminder of the threat to the state that COVID-19 poses. Victoria announced 19 deaths today. According to the
Victorian Chief Health Officer, 17 of the people who died were not
vaccinated. We are also seeing COVID-19 getting into some of the remote communities in the Northern Territory. The outbreak
there has grown to 40 people; so the risk of COVID-19 is still there,
particularly for regional and remote communities. That is why vaccination is so
important.
On Thursday and Friday, I was in the Pilbara with the
Commissioner of Police launching our focus on increasing vaccination rates
amongst regional communities, especially Aboriginal communities. The fact of
the matter is that the Pilbara in particular is currently too low in its
vaccination rate. I attended a number of round tables and visited a number of vaccination centres and hospitals
whilst I was there. I did a range of media engagements, as did the police commissioner, to seek to lift the vaccination rate in the Pilbara. But the fact
of the matter is that if we do not get the vaccination rates up in these
regional communities by the time the borders come down in late January or early February, we will have to put restrictions
on who can go into those communities. Most likely, only the double-jabbed ,
double-vaccinated people will be able to go in there. That is the reality that
people in the Pilbara face. I just urge them to lift their vaccination rate as
a consequence of that.
Vaccinating Aboriginal communities is actually the
responsibility of the commonwealth government under the national agreement, but
we are doing everything we can to help lift the vaccination rate out there. As
of yesterday, a five-week community effort is underway. It will involve a large
number of in-reach programs that will focus on bringing the vaccine directly
into those communities. House-to-house visits and vaccinations for hospital
inpatients and outpatients will be part of the program. It will be community
led and involve local Aboriginal leaders and advisers. The Vaccine Commander,
Chris Dawson, has already undertaken a huge amount of engagement. I must say
that he has done an outstanding job. He has been listening to those communities
to boost the rate of Aboriginal vaccination across the state.
The Aboriginal vaccination
rate is still around only 50 per cent first dose. I will continue visiting
regional communities and promoting vaccination, the police commissioner
will do the same, and our Aboriginal staff and advisers will do the same. We will do everything we can to
promote it and lift the vaccination rate. I would encourage all members of Parliament to do exactly the same thing—to lift the vaccination
rate, particularly amongst Aboriginal people. I will close on this: it would be
great once again if the state opposition—the Liberals and Nationals—could
actually help with this, rather than trying to score political points all the
time.
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