The Western Queensland Alliance of Councils is hoping a digital dashboard will give a clear picture of COVID-19 vaccination rate uptake, and in some cases, a wake-up call.
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The coalition of 22 outback local governments stretching from Burke Shire in the Gulf to Balonne Shire on the NSW border has developed the 'digital dashboard' because it believes better informed communities will result in higher vaccination rates.
The picture it paints is quite revealing: while 62 per cent of the eligible population of 49,100 has had both jabs, rates vary dramatically between councils.
Generally speaking, the further a local government area is from south east Queensland, the lower its vaccination rate is.
The graphs, using Queensland Health data, put Blackall-Tambo Regional Council residents at the top of the pile for full vaccination, at 78.93 per cent on September 28.
Close behind, on 76.74pc is Quilpie, followed by Balonne on 73.68.
Longreach and Murweh are neck and neck in the race to get residents fully covered, with rates of 72.7pc and 72.56pc respectively.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Burke shire area, which includes the Doomadgee Aboriginal Council area, has fully vaccinated 40.72pc of its eligible residents.
Some 48.5pc of the Cloncurry shire is fully vaccinated and just under half, 48.64pc of the Bulloo shire has received both jabs.
Of the two larger centres within the WQAC, Mount Isa City Council, which incorporates parts of Boulia, Burke, Carpentaria and Cloncurry shires, has almost 53pc fully vaccinated, while 1300km to the south east, almost 66pc in the Maranoa Regional Council area are covered by two jabs.
Boulia's vaccination rate is hard to see because it's been split between Mount Isa's numbers and a 'North Queensland' amalgam that includes the McKinlay shire statistics plus parts of Carpentaria, Cloncurry and Winton.
Statistics for the Etheridge shire were not included in the September 28 graph.
"It's important we protect our most vulnerable communities that are long distances from substantial medical facilities," Carpentaria mayor and chairman of the North West Regional Organisation of Councils, Jack Bawden said. "We can do that by getting as many locals as possible vaccinated as soon they can."
The chairwoman of the South West Regional Organisation of Councils and Balonne mayor, Samantha O'Toole said that if residents knew how many others in their community wee getting vaccinated, they would be much more likely to do the right thing themselves.
"So we are throwing our support behind the vaccination push by encouraging all eligible residents to get vaccinated as soon as practical," she said.
Remote Area Planning and Development Board chairman and Longreach mayor Tony Rayner said it was not only critical for communities to protect their health, protecting the region's economy from the impacts of COVID-19, particularly the tourism sector, was paramount.
It breaks the data down into individual shires, age groups, and has indigenous statistics as well.
The work was undertaken by Brisbane firm GWI as one of its corporate social responsibility projects.
Meanwhile, the central west region leads the rest of the state in the number of children aged 12-15 years who have been vaccinated so far.
Central West Hospital and Health Service executive director of medical services David Walker said about 33.5pc of children aged 12-15 years in the region had now received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
More than 28pc of children aged 12 to 15 years in the south west region have now received at least one dose, which the region's vaccination coordinator Robyn Brumpton said was the second-highest vaccination rate in the state for that age group.
"Just as encouragingly, 37pc of the children we have vaccinated are First Nations children," she said.
"We have seen a surge in child vaccination numbers across the region, particularly during the current school holidays, with many families turning up at our vaccination clinics.
"I would like to thank parents and guardians for being so proactive and bringing their children in to be vaccinated.
"Our excellent child vaccination numbers are helping boost our overall vaccination rates in the south west."
Dr Walker said the central west region was continuing to mount a big push to hit the national target of 80pc of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
"Being fully vaccinated offers the highest level of protection, both against being infected and in helping minimise the seriousness of any illness if you do become infected,'' he said.
"If you have already had one dose of a vaccine and have been putting off having the second dose, please come and have that second dose.
"Please don't miss your opportunity while our travelling vaccination clinics are still circulating through the region over the next month or so."
Taking a leaf out of the pop-up clinics at NRL games in eastern Queensland, there are plans to have similar clinics at the Boulia Draft and the Blackall and Isisford races.
Bookings are recommended but walk-ins are also welcome at all clinics.
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