DOORKNOCK SHOOTS UP VAX RATES
CHERBOURG has been fighting fire with fire in its uphill battle against misinformation in the community, skyrocketing its vaccination numbers as the opening of the Queensland border edges closer.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk visited the Cherbourg community on Wednesday to discuss the community’s vaccine rollout, which up until recently had recorded the lowest numbers in Queensland.
However, hostility towards the vaccine hadn’t fully dissipated, with a small group of protesters forcing the Premier’s daily press conference to be moved from Barambah Park to the Cherbourg TAFE.
A small group of locals, including 63-year-old Irene Landers, gathered outside the Council Chambers where the Premier first held a private meet and greet with community leaders.
“I didn’t want the vaccine. I didn’t want it at all,” said Ms Landers who received her first jab a few days ago as part of council’s door-to-door vaccination initiate.
“This is being forced upon us, because we have to travel back and forth to Brisbane Hospital. Apparently we won’t be allowed in the hospitals if we aren’t vaccinated.”
Ms Landers said she wasn’t opposed directly to the Covid-19 vaccination, but was resistant to get it because she didn’t like that it was being “forced on (her)” by the government.
“Now all you white fellas know what it’s like to be a black fella, being forced against your will to do something that you don’t want to do,” she said.
Resistant Desma Reynolds said she first got the vaccine back in September so that she and others could travel freely between the community and other regions in Queensland.
Cherbourg Mayor Elvie Sandow said the door-to-door vaccination program had drastically improved Cherbourg’s vaccination rate, taking the community from near disaster to almost equalling the rest of the South Burnett region.
“Our first jab is up 70 per cent,” she said.
“I think by the time Mater leaves here, we’ll have 80 to 90 per cent.”