Slow uptake of COVID-19 vaccines by young people could see Queensland struggle to hit the 80 per cent vaccination rate by the December 17 date, a leading infection control specialist has warned.
Key points:
- Queensland's border opening is scheduled to go ahead on December 17
- Professor McLaws says Queensland should introduce rapid antigen testing on the border
- The Queensland government is looking at getting vaccinations for teenagers into schools
Professor Marylouise McLaws, who is a member of the World Health Organization's COVID-19 advisory committee, has also called on Queensland to consider introducing rapid antigen testing on the border to reduce the risk of infected travellers entering the state after the opening date.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday released a roadmap to open the state to the rest of Australia including COVID-19 hotspots in New South Wales and Victoria.
Queensland is the first state without an active outbreak to put in some firm targets and timelines for allowing the virus into the community.
The state's border opening is scheduled to go ahead on December 17, when 80 per cent of Queensland's population is predicted to be double-vaccinated.
At that date, fully vaccinated interstate visitors who have recorded a negative COVID-19 test in the past 72 hours would be allowed to enter without having to quarantine, Ms Palaszczuk said.
The 80 per cent vaccination prediction for December 17 has been queried by Professor McLaws, who said it would depend on Queensland rapidly lifting vaccination rates in the 12- to-39-year-old age group.
Professor McLaws said Queensland still had a long way to go for that age group, with only 36 per cent fully vaccinated and only 19 per cent having had their first dose.
"That means that not enough people had had time or access to the vaccine in that younger group, because they are the group if there is any circulating virus, [that] will acquire it and spread it, because in Victoria and in New South Wales, the under-40s represent about 68 per cent of all caseloads and that is enormous,'' she said.
"So you really do need to focus on that group."
Professor McLaws said Queensland might "just" be able to reach the vaccinate target with the 12-to-39-year-old age group, especially if the time between first and second dose was only three weeks.
She called on Queensland to introduce rapid antigen testing on the border to make sure those who were double-vaccinated were not entering the state carrying the virus.
"People who are vaccinated carry a small risk, and normally that would not be a problem if your vaccination rates were up high as well, but they are not quite high enough to block any potential leak into the community,'' Professor McLaws said.
In announcing the roadmap to open the borders, Ms Palaszczuk flagged a major push to vaccinate teenagers, with the Queensland government looking at how to get the vaccination into schools.
Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young also issued a call to younger people to get vaccinated and warned that the virus "would find people who aren't vaccinated".
Other changes to border rules will occur when Queensland reaches 70 per cent fully vaccinated, which was expected to occur on November 19.
On this date, interstate visitors would be allowed to enter Queensland by air only if they were fully vaccinated and had tested negative in the past 72 hours, and would have to complete 14 days of home quarantine.
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2021-10-18 19:40:25Z
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