Page 3092 - Week 11 - Tuesday, 9 November 2021
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On 8 October, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, ATAGI, recommended a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine as part of the primary course in individuals who are severely immuno-compromised. Third doses form part of the primary vaccine course offered to people whose bodies have an impaired immune response to vaccines.
The ACT began offering third dose vaccines to eligible Canberrans on 22 October. Eligible Canberrans can obtain a letter of support from their doctor and make an appointment at a clinic for vaccination between two and six months following their second vaccine dose.
On 18 October, ATAGI released a statement recommending an optional booster COVID-19 vaccine for all adult Australians, 18 years and older, with a particular focus on individuals who received their first dose in early 2021 during the initial rollout of the vaccine program.
Since 1 November, adults who completed their primary COVID-19 vaccine course over six months ago have been able to book in for a booster vaccine at an ACT government vaccination clinic or through participating GPs and pharmacies. As of 7 November, we had already administered 7,666 third dose and booster vaccines to 2.1 per cent of the vaccine-eligible Canberra population.
The equity to access program delivers COVID-19 vaccinations to vulnerable and marginalised community members through in-reach, pop-up, mobile and in-home settings. Aspen Medical and Canberra Health Services have paired with ACT Health to deliver these clinics.
As of 3 November, Aspen Medical has delivered 1,693 vaccine doses to marginalised and hard-to-reach community members since 11 September. Vaccination opportunities were targeted to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people living with disability and their families and carers, LGBTIQ+ community members, and people living in insecure accommodation. CHS pop-up clinics have targeted regions with lower than average vaccine take-up across the ACT. Since 27 September, pop-up clinics have administered a total of 1,470 vaccine doses.
A key area of focus for the ACT’s vaccination program is the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines across the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. As of 3 November, commonwealth data tells us that 87 per cent of eligible Canberrans who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander had received their first vaccination dose and 79 per cent were fully vaccinated.
It is important to note that vaccination coverage for this cohort is calculated using population figures sourced from the Australian Immunisation Register, the AIR, in alignment with a decision of the commonwealth Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group.
Using the same methodology, the ACT’s non-Indigenous vaccination rate is estimated to be 86 per cent having received their first dose vaccination and 81 per cent with two
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