AMA calls for COVID vaccination boost at home and in Pacific
The AMA says despite Australia reaching world-leading vaccination rates more needs to be done for under-vaccinated groups not only in Australia but also in the Pacific region.
The AMA says despite Australia reaching world-leading vaccination rates more needs to be done for under-vaccinated groups not only in Australia but also in the Pacific region.
The AMA is calling on an incoming Federal Government to tackle barriers facing community groups which are under-vaccinated against COVID-19 and to also assist Pacific neighbours to lift vaccination rates.
The AMA says despite Australia reaching world-leading rates of vaccination against COVID-19, there are under-vaccinated population groups, such as people living with disabilities and people experiencing homelessness, which have vaccination rates well below the national average.
The AMA has developed a Statement on Principles for Equitable COVID-19 Vaccination to guide the allocation and delivery of vaccines based on ethical principles to achieve vaccine equity.
AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said even though Australia had one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world with at least 95 per cent of the population aged 16 years and over fully vaccinated, there needed to be a focus on vaccine access for groups not up to date with their vaccination.
The AMA firmly believes that Australia also has a moral obligation and opportunity to distribute more doses of COVID-19 vaccines urgently and equitably to our Pacific neighbours.
“Australia has purchased vaccine doses far in excess of our population’s needs while low and middle-income countries are still grappling with their vaccine rollout. In low-income countries less than 15 per cent of people have received one dose of vaccine,” Dr Khorshid said.
“The pandemic has not ended. Following the 21 May federal election, the AMA calls on a newly-formed Australian government to make a commitment to further bolster vaccine equity at home and in the region.”
As of November 2021, Australia had donated 11.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to neighbouring Pacific nations – about two-thirds of the region’s supply.
According to the Department of Health website, the Australian Government has purchased more than 200 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for domestic supply.
