Wimmera residents deserve a pat on the back for their efforts to get vaccinated, but we also need to take up the baton and push to become the first Australian jurisdiction to meet the 70 per cent vaccination target.
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Our friends in Ballarat have been vocal in their efforts to get more locals jabbed more quickly - and so should we.
The 70 per cent vaccination target is the key to easing restrictions and minimising the risk of widespread lockdowns.
This is why the tide of opinion turning back in favour of AstraZeneca, if true, is welcome.
Dr Nick Coatsworth this week reiterated the UK-developed vaccine was not only extremely effective, but also very safe.
"If I gave someone the AstraZeneca vaccine today it would be the least risky thing I could do as a doctor," he said. "If one person decides to get Astra today who would otherwise have gotten Pfizer, that halves the time that we need to get to our target."
That's because while Australia has large quantities of locally made AstraZeneca, Pfizer is still in short supply.
This is something the thousands of 30-somethings who have been told they will have to wait until September - or longer - for a Pfizer jab should think about.
If, after seeking medical advice, they opted for AstraZeneca they would be able to receive their first dose, which offers a significant level of protection, much sooner.
While the changing advice over AstraZeneca has given the product a bad rap in recent months, the risks of an adverse reaction are extremely low.
Although millions of doses have been distributed since February, sadly seven clotting deaths have been reported.
COVID-19, especially the Delta strain, is far more deadly. The 4610 locally acquired cases reported in NSW since June 16 have resulted in 22 deaths.
Tragically, that number is going up every day.
Given the known virulence of the Delta strain and the ease with which it can spread, anyone choosing to wait for a Pfizer dose when they could access AstraZeneca could be taking an unnecessary risk.
