Many consumers are living with chronic or multiple conditions which mean they are in category 1B, which is rolling out now. For this reason they experience a real sense of urgency for them to get the information they need about the vaccine: is it safe for them (and their specific circumstances), how and who can they have this safety conversation with, and when they will be vaccinated.
Over 60 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across Queensland attended our second Q&A session on COVID-19 vaccinations. Health Consumers Queensland hosted a panel of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health leaders to answer questions from the community.
3 March 2021
Almost 100 people joined Health Consumers Queensland’s Q&A Forum for First Nations consumers, carers and health workers on the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out. Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, Dr Jeannette Young, and Queensland’s Chief Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Officer and Deputy Director-General, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Ms Haylene Grogan joined us to share the latest information and answer participants’ questions.
In the past 4 weeks, Health Consumers Queensland has hosted two Q&A Forums about the COVID-19 vaccine roll out in Queensland: The first enabled consumers from across our network to put their questions to Queensland’s Chief Health Officer (CHO), Dr Jeannette Young. The second was specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health consumers who put questions to the CHO and the Chief Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Officer and Deputy Director-General Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Ms Haylene Grogan. This summary paper highlights the shared themes and differences between the Q&A Forums and examines what your questions tell Queensland Health along with suggestions for changes and improvements.
As the State faces an uncertain economic future with the pandemic draining the public purse, a looming recession and a significant burden of chronic disease and health inequity, key decisions about funding,
resourcing and service priorities are only going to get tougher. However, currently, consumers do not have a seat at the table to help shape these decisions even though their health care and health outcomes are directly affected by them.