Why the Pilbara went from Australia’s COVID-19 economic saviour to it’s biggest vaccine problem-child

It was May 2021 when the West Australian revealed the Pilbara’s iron ore miners had contributed nearly 20 per cent — about $15 billion — of the nation’s company tax revenue to prop up the COVID-ravaged 2020 economy. Four months later, the Pilbara’s praises were once again sung from the rooftop by politicians and industry leaders from all sides as it was revealed the region’s resources industry had pumped $11.3b into the State economy to drive WA’s bumper $5.6b surplus. The Pilbara had kept WA and Australia’s economies afloat during COVID-19, but away from the gushing praise of our leaders, a key number was beginning to cause concern. That number is 25 — it is, as of last week, the percentage of Pilbara residents fully vaccinated against COVID-19 — the lowest of any region in Australia. Federal Government data shows as of October 25, 24.8 per cent of West Pilbara residents and 25.8 per cent of East Pilbara residents were double-dosed. Some 42 per cent of West Pilbara and 43.5 per cent of East Pilbara residents had received their first jabs. No other region in Australia is below 30 per cent double dosed, and no other region in WA is below 40 per cent. Federal Department of Health deputy chief medical officer Steph Davis said there was a lot of work to do to get the region up to speed. “That is a pretty long way behind the Eastern States and it is a pretty long way behind Perth,” she said. “In WA, because there hasn’t been that immediate risk and people have felt very protected — it has been an amazing journey with COVID in Western Australia — but there really hasn’t been that feeling that ‘I need to get my vaccine now’,” she said. “If you are feeling a bit hesitant you are more likely to sit back and wait, whereas if you have the risk right in front of you, even if you are feeling a bit hesitant you might try and seek out information to make that decision come forward a bit more.” Ms Davis’ sentiment is backed by City of Karratha Mayor Peter Long, who said the normality of Pilbara life during COVID-19 had led to complacency. “As borders open up and people start going back to Bali, and they’ll only be able to go if they have an injection, I think you’ll find that even in the Pilbara, people will start getting more jabs,” he said. There are signs of hope; South Hedland Pharmacy administered its 1000th COVID-19 vaccination in October, and Pharmacy Help and Pharmacy 777 Karratha have delivered more than 1200 vaccinations in the past six weeks. Mass vaccination clinics have also been opened in Newman, Tom Price and Onslow. Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel said vaccine supply issues which had an impact on rates early on had been overcome. “We are seeing the vaccine rate climb at the moment, and now with supply, the State Government has established mass vaccination clinics in Karratha, Hedland and Newman, which are run in conjunction with local resource companies and service providers,” he said. “These have been popular with the local community as they provide convenience with the walk-in opportunities for people to get vaccinated.” Hesitancy aside, there has been some negative sentiment too — some 200 people rallied in Karratha in October to protest against mandatory vaccines, and social media posts about the jab have been littered with wild claims from anti-vaxxers. Last week a Qube employee in Port Hedland reportedly became the first blue-collar worker in WA fired under tough no jab, no work rules. That led to an outpouring of support online, not for the vaccine, but for the worker’s right not to have it. Town of Port Hedland Mayor Peter Carter said the nation’s prosperity depended on the Pilbara’s ports remaining COVID-free. “We need to keep our community and our ports as safe as possible because we all know how important the Pilbara region is and Port Hedland is to the State and Federal governments,” he said. “People don't want to be forced, they wanted to have their own say and to just do it at their own leisure, but if you do it that way you put your whole community at risk. “At the end of the day people are going to make a choice whether they get vaccinated and keep their jobs, or don’t get vaccinated and take that risk, and I hope they don’t take that risk because it’s not worth your life or your family's life.” Mr Carter backed the State Government’s stance, stating vaccinations were necessary to open WA back up and start travelling again. Ms Davis warned it was a matter of when, not if, COVID-19 came to the Pilbara. “COVID will be there at some point and if you leave it until you have COVID in your neighbourhood you have probably left it too late,” she said. “We either get vaccinated so when we come into COVID we are protected against it, or we don’t get vaccinated and when we come into COVID we are not protected. “If we are not protected by a vaccine we are more likely to get sick, die and spread the disease to those we love. “It is not a cheerful picture, but that is the reality.” Ms Davis said there were enough Moderna, Pfizer and AstraZeneca jabs in the Pilbara for everyone to choose their preferred vaccine.