Some of Perth's most affluent suburbs are surging ahead in the inoculation race, with initial COVID-19 vaccination rates above 90 per cent, while outer suburban areas are lagging far behind.
Key points:
- There is a large disparity between Perth's affluent and outer suburbs
- The city's western suburbs are leading first dose COVID-19 jabs
- Many suburbs beyond 20 kilometres from the CBD are trailing behind
According to the latest vaccination data, Nedlands was the metropolitan local government area (LGA) leading the way, with 94.8 per cent of people aged over 16 having had their first jab of a COVID-19 vaccine.
It was closely followed by the western suburbs of Cottesloe (93.9 per cent) and Claremont (91.4 per cent) and the Cambridge council area (91.1 per cent), home to beachside City Beach.
By comparison, the rate of first jabs in Premier Mark McGowan's outer-suburban electorate of Rockingham was 65.3 per cent on Monday, and the rate was 61.7 per cent in Kwinana, the Health Minister Roger Cook's electorate.
The overall rate in WA was 70.1 per cent first dose vaccinations, with 52 per cent of the population aged over 16 fully vaccinated.
In Serpentine-Jarrahdale, about 45 kilometres from Perth with a population of 36,000, just under 60 per cent of people had received their first shot.
Some regional councils were lagging well behind, with just 58.1 per cent of the population in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, home to more than 29,000 people, vaccinated against the virus.
The discrepancy in vaccination rates was most stark when comparing the 10 main areas of WA known as Statistical Area 4s, with just 41.3 per cent of people vaccinated in the state's far north, compared with 82.4 per cent in inner Perth.
Last week, Mr Cook said he could not explain why his electorate of Kwinana was behind the state average for vaccination.
"We have got a big vaccination clinic right in the middle of the city of Kwinana," Mr Cook said.
"It is troubling that we still have low vaccination rates even where people have a vaccination clinic on their doorstep.
"I have been letterboxing and imploring the people of Kwinana to make sure they get themselves vaccinated.
"But Kwinana represents all the social demographics and the sort of LGAs where we are struggling to get our vaccination rates up."
On Monday the Premier announced new pop-up, state-run clinics in Armadale and Mirrabooka shopping centres to try to drive rates up.
"In areas which have lower rates of vaccination, which is Armadale and Mirrabooka, you'll just be able to walk in," Mr McGowan said.
"We have got to make it available and easy for people."
In Armadale, the rate was 66.2 per cent, while city of Stirling, which includes the culturally diverse suburb of Mirrabooka, had 74 per cent of its population vaccinated.
Several vaccination clinics were recently opened in the state's north-west in partnership with the resources sector, including in Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Port Hedland and Newman.
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