Barriers and enablers to implementation of COVID-19 vaccine programs in a rural and regional Queensland: A provider perspective.

Introduction: Vaccines formed the core of Australia's National COVID-19 Plan in combination with other public health measures. Vaccine rates varied geographically, and lower uptake was seen in some regional and remote areas.

Objective: Explore barriers and enablers to implementing COVID-19 vaccine programs and recommendations for improvement from a vaccine provider perspective in rural and regional Queensland (QLD).

Did the coronavirus vaccination program in a rural and regional area work? Health outcomes of the vaccination program in Wide Bay.

The objective of this case study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Wide Bay region coronavirus vaccination program in preventing hospitalisation for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Population vaccination data and the vaccination status of patients hospitalised with confirmed COVID-19 have been used to evaluate preventable hospitalisations and risk reduction during and after a 2 month period following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wide Bay after removal of public health measures in Queensland in December 2021. Wide Bay is a rural region of Queensland including K'Gari (formerly Fraser Island) to the east, the North Burnett farming region in the west and extending from the Fraser Coast to the Discovery Coast.

Post COVID-19 vaccination: AusVaxSafety survey participation and adverse events - a community-based regional Queensland study.

Objective: To describe adverse events following COVID-19 immunisation (AEFI) and participation in AusVaxSafety surveillance in a Queensland regional community.

Methods: Participants presenting for second dose COVID-19 vaccine at the Hervey Bay Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service (WBHHS) vaccine clinic in July 2021 completed a survey pertaining to their first COVID-19 vaccine. Data collected included participation in AusVaxSafety surveillance, vaccine type (BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) or ChAdOx1-S(Oxford/AstraZeneca), AEFI experienced and impact on work/routine activities.

COVID-19 Vaccination: An Exploratory Study of the Motivations and Concerns Detailed in the Medical Records of a Regional Australian Population.

Understanding motivations and concerns surrounding COVID-19 vaccine uptake is important to reduce vaccine hesitancy and inform strategies to mitigate concerns and increase vaccine uptake. This study aimed to explore motivations and concerns associated with COVID-19 vaccination among adults seeking their first COVID-19 vaccine in a regional Australian community with low prevalence of COVID-19, who received a medical consult prior to vaccination. Medical records from consults were audited and the modified Framework Method was used to conduct qualitative content analysis of data, generating themes and overall core concepts related to motivations for COVID-19 vaccination and associated concerns.