Greater Geraldton hits 80 per cent first dose vaccination rate, but still lagging behind city counterparts

Greater Geraldton has reached a COVID-19 vaccine milestone with more than 80 per cent of residents 15 and over rolling up their sleeves for a first dose.

As of Monday, 63.1 per cent of Greater Geraldtonians were fully vaccinated against the virus.

However, vaccination rates in the Mid West are still well behind city counterparts.

Casting an eye to the leafy western suburbs of Perth, double dose vaccination rates are up above 80 per cent in Subiaco and Mosman Park, and above 90 per cent in Cottesloe.

Meanwhile, the Shire of Chapman Valley sits at just under 39 per cent for double dose vaccinations.

It comes as the State Government held its “super vax weekend”, with a COVID-19 vaccination clinic popping up at Bunnings on Sunday.

Almost 200 people lined up to get the jab, with local health officials surprised by how many turned up.

WA Country Health Service Mid West regional director Rachele Ferrari said she was “blown away” by the response.

“We had to head back to our clinic to get more vaccines on a number of occasions because it has been an overwhelming response,” she said.

“The easier we make this process, the more will turn up. This demonstrates opportunities outside business hours are what people want.”

On Friday, Premier Mark McGowan said WA would open up to the rest of Australia and the world when 90 per cent of residents aged 12 and over were fully vaccinated.

One of the 198 people vaccinated at the pop-up clinic was 12-year-old Alice Humbert.

She said she wanted to do her bit to protect the community.

“Now I can travel overseas if I get a second jab, and see family,” she said.

Fly-in, fly-out worker Emily Hipper, who received her second dose of the vaccine, said the Bunnings clinic was more convenient than booking a time during the week.

“We didn’t want to get sick during the week because we had work,” she said. “Sunday is easier, and we wanted to get a sausage.”

More than 15,500 people were vaccinated at State-run clinics across WA during super vax weekend, up from about 13,800 the previous weekend.

But WA is still lagging behind the rest of the country when it comes to vaccination rates.