Mount Gambier City Council elected members are encouraging resident to make informed decisions regarding COVID vaccinations.

This comes following revelation that, as of nine days ago, only 42% of Mount Gambier residents are fully vaccinated against COVID, well below the 80% State Government target.

This prompted Mayor Lynette Martin and Councillors Sonya Mezinec, Paul Jenner, Max Bruins and Christian Greco to appeal to the community.

Mayor Martin said Mount Gambier and the wider community had played an important role in managing the COVID pandemic in South Australia.

“While we are fortunate to have been COVID safe throughout the pandemic, the threat of COVID has presented many challenges that our community continues to face,” Mayor Martin said.

“There have been lockdowns and activity restrictions put in place and we are all getting used to wearing masks and following social distancing regulations.

“South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has indicated that COVID restrictions will be relaxed when there is equity in vaccination rates across local government areas as the State Government is still determining the minimum vaccination rate before restrictions ease.

“I think it would be a wonderful achievement for our community if we could reach an 80% vaccination rate as soon as possible and be the leading local government area in South Australia.”

The Mayor is booked in for her second AstraZeneca vaccination next month and believes that vaccination should be a considered personal decision made by community members to help protect each other.

“I personally got vaccinated to protect my community so that business and industry remains open, people remain employed and we keep our economy strong,” Mayor Martin said.

“I also want to protect my family and friends and I want to see people reunited and being able to come together and celebrate important occasions.

“I also want to be able to travel freely to Perth to visit my family, I think vaccination is key to that at this point.”

Councillor Sonya Mezinec received her second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine in the past few weeks.

“I got vaccinated to protect myself, my family, my friends and the broader community from getting COVID or at the very least the more serious side effects of the disease some of which can be very long lasting,” she said.

“I want to be able to travel interstate and overseas to visit family and friends.

“I want to see families come together for important celebrations, welcoming a new member to the family, farewelling those that have died and I want my goddaughter to have the wedding celebration she and her partner would like to have but have had to cancel two years in a row.”

Councillor Paul Jenner has just received his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and believes it will be the ticket to regaining a sense of normality.

“I would love to take my family to Melbourne to see our relatives but the only way to do that safely is to get vaccinated and for the border to reopen,” Cr Jenner said.

“I do not want to give the virus to my parents, children or grandchildren, so my choice with my body is simple, I am having a jab to be fully vaccinated and return back to a life that feels more normal.

“I also want to live in a society where it is safe for our doctors and nurses to work.

“I would hate to think about the burden on the hospital if we had a large COVID outbreak down here.”

Councillor Max Bruins decided to get vaccinated due to many influencing factors.

“I’m a firm believer in the science of vaccinations and ‘herd immunity’, I have elderly and vulnerable friends and family who I do not want to risk giving the virus to,” he said.

“I love travel and have family and friends overseas who I want to visit again soon and I have seen the devastation to many businesses caused by the pandemic and want to do my bit to get borders open as soon as possible.”

Councillor Christian Greco also decided to get vaccinated to help ensure the safety of those around him.

“The main reason I decided to get vaccinated was to protect my family including my one-year-old baby and my grandfather who is now over 80,” Cr Greco said.

“Getting the vaccination was not just about me as a person, it’s about protecting everyone else in our community.”

The Mayor and Councillors encourage local people to seek COVID vaccination information from a trusted source to make an informed personal decision about the vaccines.

“Sometimes it is hard to work out what is fact and what is fiction, particularly online.

“If you have questions or concerns or feel hesitant about getting a vaccine, I encourage you to seek the facts and evidence-based information,” Mayor Martin said.

“It is so important to rely on reputable sources of information and to stay up-to-date on the latest information about the vaccines to help you make an informed choice.”