With a third of all Indigenous people under the age of 15, there are hopes vaccinating five- to 11-year-olds will limit COVID-19 in First Nations communities | CameronGooley
Vaccinating five- to 11-year-olds is key to slowing the spread of COVID-19 into First Nations communities because of their younger population profile, a Australia’s peak Indigenous health body says.
While those figures are concerning, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation said there needed to be a focus on the vaccination rates of younger First Nations people. The Indigenous vaccine gap remains highest for people under 30, and just 54.7 per cent of Indigenous 12- to 15-year-olds have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“Around 9000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been infected in the last six months and at twice the rate of non-Indigenous Australians,” he said.“A young population and too much crowded housing, it’s a big recipe for it to spread among this young group that’s unvaccinated.” Western Australia is still trailing the rest of the nation with just 39 per cent of Indigenous people over 16 fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, Queensland has hit 51 per cent, and South Australia 53.5 per cent.