Indigenous communities in 19 South Australian Local Government Areas (LGAs) have double vaccination rates of just half the population or less, leaving them exposed to Covid outbreaks like that in the Northern Territory.
South Australia has a double vaccination rate of 75.2 per cent. The Federal Government’s failed Indigenous vaccination surge has left South Australian Indigenous people behind with a vaccination rate of just 46.7 per cent - a gap of 28.5 percentage points.
Shockingly, some South Australian LGAs have an Indigenous vaccination gap of over 40 percentage points.
Remote communities are especially vulnerable to Covid outbreaks due to overcrowding, lack of access to acute medical services due to distance, and generally poorer underlying health.
Labor, experts and community leaders have been warning of the risks of outbreaks in remote communities since the pandemic began.
The Wilcannia outbreak should have served as a wake-up call to a Federal Government which never wants to take responsibility – but nothing improved.
Now, South Australian communities are left exposed to the same kind of outbreak underway in the Northern Territory.
The Government took a lot of time and effort planning the announcement of their vaccination surge. It’s time they put the effort into getting the vaccine into people’s arms.
Lives depend on it.
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LGAS WITH INDIGENOUS VACCINATION RATES BELOW 50 PER CENT
|
LGA |
Indigenous double vaccination rate |
Vaccine Gap |
|
Berri and Barmera |
49.6% |
25.6% |
|
Ceduna |
40.3% |
34.9% |
|
Charles Sturt |
47.4% |
27.8% |
|
Coober Pedy |
46.9% |
28.3% |
|
Marion |
48.6% |
26.6% |
|
Mid Murray |
43.5% |
31.7% |
|
Murray Bridge |
41.6% |
33.6% |
|
Playford |
38.6% |
36.6% |
|
Port Adelaide Enfield |
42.0% |
33.2% |
|
Port Augusta |
42.1% |
33.1% |
|
Port Lincoln |
34.1% |
41.1% |
|
Port Pirie City and Dists |
38.6% |
36.6% |
|
Roxby Downs |
38.4% |
36.8% |
|
Salisbury |
43.0% |
32.2% |
|
The Coorong |
39.0% |
36.2% |
|
Victor Harbor |
47.9% |
27.3% |
|
Wattle Range |
49.6% |
25.6% |
|
Whyalla |
44.2% |
31.0% |
|
Yorke Peninsula |
49.4% |
25.8% |