Targeting vaccine sceptics

A BOOST to Australia’s vaccine supplies now has authorities turning to vaccine-hesitant pockets in the community, the Covid-19 taskforce commander says.

Covid-19 taskforce commander Lieutenant General John Frewen said the additional 4 million doses secured, plus the rollout of the Moderna vaccine this month, meant the key challenge now was people’s willingness to be vaccinated rather than supply and distribution issues.

“There are some concerns about hesitancy in places around the country, so we’re going to be working really hard now just to make sure people have got the right information and are making good, well-informed choices,” he said.

“We can already look down into the jurisdictions and find pockets, whether they’re areas where there might be some cultural issues or there might be very remote communities.

“That’s the sort of priority we’re giving now to where the messaging needs to get to make sure that everybody’s coming along and everybody’s taking the opportunity to get vaccinated.”

General Frewen said there wasn’t time for complacency given the outbreaks in Sydney and Melbourne and more vaccine was now available.

“Everything’s in place. We’ve just got it hit it with urgency now,” he said.