We did it!

Together, we #vaxedtheillawarra, writes Jeremy Lasek

It’s been said many times before but COVID-19 has thrown a myriad of unprecedented challenges our way – and what a truly magnificent response to this once-in-a-century health emergency from the people of the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.

Emerging from the fog of our 100-plus day lockdown, I’ve been testing my memory. Let me test yours. Other than wartime, can anyone recall a time in your lifetime, when, as a community, we’ve had to band together – and bond together – for a common goal, just as we’ve all done over the past 20 months or so?

When the #vaxtheillawarra team launched its grassroots campaign we had one single objective: to get as many people in the region to roll up their sleeves as possible, and as quickly as possible. It remains the only regional campaign of this type in the nation, and it’s been an honour and a privilege to have been a part of it.

The support we’ve received from day one has been phenomenal. From our Olympic superstar, Emma McKeon, who was the first of our 150 #vaxtheillawarra ambassadors, and who launched the campaign, to the dozens of businesses, regional media, not-for-profits, community groups and dedicated volunteers who’ve helped take a bright idea and turn it into a high-profile, life-saving community health campaign. All of this – an engaging website, Facebook page, weekly live Facebook events, videos from local legends, and regular media reports – has been delivered in less than two months at the time of writing.

When we started the campaign, Wollongong was 35.3% fully vaccinated – well under half-way to our ultimate goal of 80%. As I write this on Friday, October 22, through a concerted effort, this week Wollongong has joined our neighbours in Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven by hitting that magical 80% target. That’s cause for great celebration, and how special that the lifting of lockdowns for the fully vaccinated means we can celebrate with friends and family at the newly reopened cafes, pubs and clubs – and in our homes, of course. FREEDOM AT LAST!

As the headline above reads: ‘We did it!’ So, why not wrap up #vaxtheillawarra and take a moment to reflect on a job (and many tens of thousands of jabs) well done?

As my fellow #vaxtheillawarra volunteer, Toby Dawson, said: “We’re not at 80%, till we’re all at 80%.” There are still significant pockets of our community lagging behind with vaccination rates still in the 60 and 70s. These are some of our multicultural communities, mainly in the suburbs that wrap around Lake Illawarra, and our First Nations people. Vaccination hesitancy was always going to be our biggest challenge and getting that last 25% to commit to roll up their sleeves is our one remaining task over the next few weeks.

We are asking anyone who knows someone who hasn’t started the vaccination process to ask them politely and respectfully, ‘why not?’ The reasons will be many and varied. It may be nervousness about how quickly the vaccines were produced. It may be that they’ve heard that there might be a risk of complications. It may be as simple as they don’t know how and where to get the vaccine.

Should they have concerns, please, encourage these people to visit their GP. You may also be able to assist by finding a place close to them where there is now a plentiful supply of every vaccine, and maybe even offer to help make an appointment. Better still, drive them to a place where you can now get a vaccine just by walking in.

The website www.vaxtheillawarra.com.au is the place to go. Click on the ‘Vaccine Finder’ button and you’ll find a number of local vaccine options by simply punching in your postcode.

The success of the #vaxtheillawarra campaign is a classic example of that old African proverb, ‘It takes a village’.

In my memory, never before has this wonderful community of people faced a challenge as big as the fight against COVID-19. Never before have tens of thousands of individuals been asked to rise to the challenge, and make one/two unselfish sacrifices to protect the health and wellbeing of everyone else in their lives.

To the people in our ‘village’ – every one of you living in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven who have rolled up your sleeves and armed yourself to fight Covid – the #vaxtheillawarra team salutes you!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeremy Lasek has decades of experience in media, marketing, events and PR. His career began in the Illawarra with the Lake Times, ABC Radio and WIN-TV. He later became WIN’s national news director before joining the National Capital Authority as head of media and events. Jeremy was executive director of ACT Government Communications, Events, Arts, Heritage and Protocol for many years, and Chief of Staff to the ACT Chief Minister. Before returning to Wollongong, he was CEO of the National Australia Day Council and head of communications for the Australian Federal Police. He’s now pinch-hitting at Waples and looking for some great volunteering opportunities.