COVID-19 vaccination rollout reaches Indigenous communities as first AstraZeneca doses administered

COVID vaccinations have begun in some of Australia’s most vulnerable populations, with today’s rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Indigenous communities.

Under phase 1b of the country’s rollout plan, all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults over 55 will start to receive the jab from today, while in some remote communities all Indigenous adults are eligible.

At the Mallee District Aboriginal Service (MDAS) in Mildura, Iris Johnson was one of the first Indigenous community members to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine provided some much-needed hope for Ms Johnson, who spent most of the year in “complete lockdown,” due to her existing kidney…