Until recently Ngarrindjeri elder Stephanie Gollan had reservations about getting the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
But her feelings about the shot changed when she joined a program in Adelaide that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through the process.
The has reserved two cubicles at a vaccine hub in Playford in Adelaide's north to create a supportive and culturally appropriate environment for Indigenous Australians.
“They made me feel comfortable to go in and feel confident about getting the jab,” Ms Gollan told SBS News.
“I was hesitant at first but when I heard my daughter and grandson were getting their vaccines, I thought, ‘I’ve got to think of family’.
“I rang this service and asked for an appointment and all of a sudden I was brought in the next day.”
The Watto Purrunna service takes care of all the administration, from booking the vaccine to organising transport to and from the clinic.
Aunty Stephanie Gollan (R), pictured with health worker Tinarra Toohey, says the program gave her confidence to get her COVID-19 shot. Source: SA Health
Workers meet clients at the clinic and support them through the process with a designated Indigenous nurse.
“Most of our clients are liking the fact there’s a dedicated cubicle and that there’s a familiar face from our service,” said senior Aboriginal health practitioner Tinarra Toohey.
“You get to sit down and have a chat with an Aboriginal health practitioner while they observe how you are going, and if there are any adverse reactions.
“It’s a more chilled environment.”
'Very proud'
More than 85,000 people who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine.
But health workers are also reporting high rates of misinformation and vaccine hesitancy in some Indigenous communities, including around the AstraZeneca shot.
“It’s really hard,” Ms Toohey said.
“If we could make Pfizer available to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders that would be good because there is so much fear about AstraZeneca.”
Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt said on Monday he was concerned about vaccination rates in First Nations communities.
“I don’t want to see any deaths within our communities,” he told the ABC.
“I am worried, I am concerned, but we must keep level heads and we must focus on the logistical arrangements of making sure that we get vaccines to communities.”
were announced on Monday night as part of an effort to revive Australia’s bungled rollout, including a new indemnity scheme allowing GPs to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine to any adult who wants it.
Nauo-Ngarrindjeri woman Nadine Milera, who recently got a Pfizer vaccine through the Watto Purrunna initiative, was happy to get a jab and said it was important to do so.
Nadine Milera getting her COVID-19 vaccine Source: SA Health
Having the shot allows her to safely visit her sister, who is in hospital recovering from a stroke.
“It’s really important for us to see our families. To Aboriginal family, kinship is very important,” she said when asked what prompted her to opt-in for a shot.
“I’m proud of myself, very proud that I am one of the brave ones to take it up - especially for our Aboriginal people,” she said.
“We all need to get it done for ourselves, our families, as well as the community.”
