Community seeks tailored information on coronavirus vaccine ahead of national roll-out

As Australia readies for COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, members of the Punjabi community say they want comprehensive information about the efficacy of the vaccines.

While the community welcomes Covid-19 vaccine, they demand more detailed information from government. Source: SBS Punjabi

Highlights

• Members of the Punjabi community share their views on COVID-19 vaccines
• Community calls for more in-language and detailed information on vaccines
• Vaccines will start being given from next Monday

SBS Punjabi spoke to various members of the community about the upcoming immunisation drive and the scale of information they have access to and expect from the federal government. 

Sydney-based activist Davinder Singh who works with Sydney Trains interacts with members of the community on a regular basis. Speaking to SBS Punjabi, Mr Singh said he mainly relies on government websites and his family for information on vaccines.

“From the information that I have so far gathered, I think I'd be happy to get a jab," he said.

“But at the same time, I would like to get more detailed information from the authorities regarding any side effects that vaccines may cause."

Mr Singh added that he has "full confidence" in the system and believes that the government will take all necessary precautions before roll-out. 

“I haven’t seen much information available in Punjabi, but would like to see all the relevant and authentic information in one place," he said.

Another community member, Harparkash Kaur, who works as a childcare educator said: “I am ready to take the Covid-19 vaccine when my turn will come”.

She said that she gets her vaccine-related information from a variety of sources.

The Morrison government has allocated 1.3 million dollars to translate and make accessible information in 60 languages. Source: SBS

Sydney's Manroop Singh who works in the commerce industry and is nowadays working from home said he discusses a lot about how things could change for the better after everyone gets vaccinated in Australia. 

“We often discuss about the side effects if any, and the benefits of getting vaccinated," he said.

"If a large number of community members decided to not take the vaccine, then the situation won’t be much different from last year when the pandemic was at its peak.

“At the same time, I do understand their concerns and would like more clarity on the effectiveness of the vaccines," he added.

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