Oliver Lees
Macedon Ranges council has smashed its COVID-19 jab target, with the shire recording one the highest rates of double vaccination in the state.
According to Department of Health data released on October 18, 81.1 per cent of residents aged 16 and over had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccination.
This data placed the shire as the fourth most fully vaccinated local government area in Victoria, behind Buloke (83.5 per cent), Surf Coast (85.3) and Queenscliffe (94 per cent).
Macedon Ranges council mayor Jennifer Anderson said she wasn’t surprised to see the shire perform so well.
“The Macedon Ranges community always tries to help each other out, the majority of people here really have a sense of community,” Cr Anderson said.
“With the knowledge that if you get vaccinated you’re not just helping yourself but helping others, it doesn’t surprise me the response has been so strong.
“You mightn’t know what the reasons are for people not wanting to get vaccinated, so really the message was always, ‘if you’re not sure, go get that professional advice’, rather than using the internet.”
As of October 18, Mount Macedon was the shire’s most vaccinated suburb, with 80 – 85 per cent of its eligible population fully vaccinated.
Cr Anderson said their collaborative ‘Get the Jab Done’ initiative with Hepburn council, Sunbury and Cobaw Community Health and Central Highlands Rural Health helped to frame the discussion of vaccinations as a co-operative process.
“We’re going to continue to encourage people to get vaccinated,” Cr Anderson said.
“We also want to support our businesses, because we know it can be difficult to navigate the way through changing restrictions.
“For some, that will be a lot easier than for others. For example retail, less people are shopping for clothes and gifts necessarily as some might still be feeling some hesitancy to go out in public.
“So we’re going to continue to advocate businesses and any assistance they require.”
