Newly released vaccination rates for the Riverina have revealed which areas are leading the charge when it comes to Covid protection, with Wagga in the top three for full vaccination in the region, but lagging in the bottom half for first doses.
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Data released by the Federal Government on Monday showed a breakdown of vaccination rates by local government area for those over the age of 15, accurate to August 27.
According to the numbers 60.6 per cent of Wagga's population have received one dose of a vaccine, while 37.2 per cent are fully vaccinated.
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Dr Ayman Shenouda who runs Wagga's federal vaccine hub said the numbers and uptake are promising for Wagga and across the region, as the clinic continues to administer 350 doses per day.
He anticipates that first doses will soon jump sharply in Wagga after the hub secured more doses of Pfizer in anticipation of the vaccine becoming available to more age groups.
"The amount of Pfizer we have available is going to significantly increase in the near future," he sad. "[Today] we had reassurance from the government that we'll have access to more Pfizer doses."
Meanwhile the Gundagai-Cootamundra area is the most vaccinated area of the Riverina with 69.7 per cent of residents partially vaccinated and 40.9 per cent fully vaccinated.
Dr Maya Eamus is one of the practice principals at Gundagai Medical Centre and she said the high rates are likely because of the community's experiences of Covid scares this year, and a widespread enthusiasm for the vaccines.
"Being on the highway, we've had a number of scares so that's put it at the forefront of people's minds," Dr Euamus said.
She added: "I think the majority of our community have been really pro vaccination for Covid, obviously I've had the odd person who is unsure or doesn't want it ... but the majority of our community are really keen to get themselves vaccinated, keep the whole community safe and get back to [normal life]."
Other highly-dosed areas include Lockhart who have 64.5 per cent of their population half vaccinated and 37.8 per cent with a double dose, while Coolamon has 62.9 per cent of residents with at least one dose, and 37.8 per cent double vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Junee has recorded the lowest rates of full and partial vaccination with 51.3 per cent of their population partially vaccinated and 28.4 per cent fully covered.
A receptionist at Junee Medical Centre, the only venue offering the jab in Junee, said the community is eager to get vaccinated and any lag in their numbers is due to supply and not hesitancy.
"It would be availability, we're the only ones doing it here," the employee who preferred to be unnamed said. "The phone calls we have been fielding have been non stop.
"We're doing as many [doses] as we're getting, so it's not because we don't have the time or the space, it's because we don't have enough of the vaccine, particularly the Pfizer."
The full list of Riverina area's vaccine rates as of August 27 can be found below:
- Cootamundra-Gundagai: 69.7% first dose, 40.9% fully vaccinated.
- Lockhart: 64.5% first dose, 37.8% fully vaccinated.
- Coolamon: 62.9% first dose, 35.6%fully vaccinated.
- Bland: 62.5% first dose, 36.0% fully vaccinated.
- Temora : 61.5% first dose, 28.8 % fully vaccinated.
- Wagga: 60.6% first dose, 37.2% fully vaccinated.
- Albury: 58.9% first dose, 30.3% fully vaccinated.
- Greater Hume: 57.2% first dose, 27.7%fully vaccinated.
- Junee: 51.3% first dose, 28.4% fully vaccinated.
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