Komesaroff Paul A, Ah Chee Donna, Boffa John, Kerridge Ian, Tilton Edward
Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.
Intern Med J. 2021 Nov;51(11):1806-1809. doi: 10.1111/imj.15559.
The NSW Government has proposed a blanket lifting of COVID-19 restrictions when the proportion of fully vaccinated people rate reaches 70% of the adult population. If implemented, this would have devastating effects on Aboriginal populations. At the present time, vaccination rates in Aboriginal communities remain low. Once restrictions are lifted, unvaccinated people will be at high risk of infection. The risks of serious illness and death among Aboriginal people from a variety of medical conditions are significantly greater than for the wider population. This is also the case with COVID-19 in First Nations populations around the world. The vulnerability of Aboriginal people is an enduring consequence of colonialism and is exacerbated by the fact that many live in overcrowded and poorly maintained houses in communities with under-resourced health services. A current workforce crisis and the demographic structure of the population have further hindered the effectiveness of vaccination programmes. Aboriginal organisations have called on state and federal governments to delay any substantial easing of restrictions until full vaccination rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations aged 16 years and older reach 90-95%. They have also called for additional support in the form of supply of vaccines, enhancement of workforce capacity and appropriate incentives to address hesitancy. Australia remains burdened by the legacy of centuries of harm and damage to its First Nations people. Urgent steps must be taken to avoid a renewed assault on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
新南威尔士州政府提议，当完全接种疫苗的人口比例达到成年人口的70%时，全面解除新冠疫情限制措施。如果实施这一举措，将对原住民群体产生毁灭性影响。目前，原住民社区的疫苗接种率仍然很低。一旦限制措施解除，未接种疫苗的人将面临高感染风险。原住民因各种疾病而患重病和死亡的风险远高于普通人群。世界各地原住民群体感染新冠病毒的情况也是如此。原住民的脆弱性是殖民主义的长期后果，许多人居住在过度拥挤、维护不善的房屋中，所在社区的医疗服务资源不足，这使情况更加恶化。当前的劳动力危机和人口结构进一步阻碍了疫苗接种计划的成效。原住民组织呼吁州政府和联邦政府推迟大幅放宽限制措施，直到16岁及以上原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民的完全接种率达到90%至95%。他们还呼吁提供额外支持，包括供应疫苗、增强劳动力能力以及采取适当激励措施来解决人们对接种疫苗的犹豫态度。澳大利亚仍背负着数百年来对其原住民造成伤害和破坏的遗留问题。必须立即采取措施，避免对原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民的健康再次造成冲击。
