August 2021 Digest
1 Looking Ahead
Australian Children and Young People’s Knowledge Acceleration Hub Sector adaptation and innovation shaped by COVID-19 and the latest evidence on COVID-19 and its impacts on children and young people
A collaboration between ARACY and UNICEF Australia
Introduction The Australian Children and Young People’s Knowledge Acceleration Hub is an initiative created by ARACY and UNICEF Australia to ensure that the impacts of COVID-19 on children in Australia are fully understood and communicated to decision makers at all levels. To do this, we will draw upon data from Australia and international comparators, the latest research and analysis of COVID-19 and its impacts on children and families, and related research with applicable lessons for the known and anticipated impacts of COVID-19 and their potential mitigation. Our Approach to Wellbeing The Australian Children and Young People’s Knowledge Acceleration Hub uses both ARACY’s The Nest child wellbeing framework and UNICEF’s Children’s Goals. The Nest looks at wellbeing as a series of six connected and interdependent domains. A child needs to be doing well in all six domains to thrive. Deprivation in one domain is likely to affect wellbeing in other domains. UNICEF’s Children’s Goals are derived from the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child and align with the domains of The Nest. Please visit the ARACY website for more information on The Nest and its uses in conceptualising child wellbeing, and the Australian Children and Young People’s Knowledge Acceleration Hub online library for summary content and future digests.
Find out more about the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child here: https://www.unicef.org/child-rights-convention
2 Looking Ahead
Issue 12: August 2021 This 12th release covers information and analysis released from July through to August 2021. Throughout the pandemic in 2020 we have released new digests regularly, bringing together the latest research and information to inform policy, practice, and decision-making. We are delighted to again partner with UNICEF Australia to continue producing this digest throughout 2021. We will highlight the data sources available that assess the impact of COVID-19 on the wellbeing of children and young people in Australia, and report on headline indicators. Each digest will take a more in-depth focus on particular issues.
Key Issues Key issues addressed in this issue include:
The changing picture for children and young people’s health as the Delta variant spreads in Australia and internationally • Vaccination priorities and focus in response to the increased spread of Delta among children and young people • How to most effectively inform and motivate young people and First Nations Australians to get vaccinated, including questions of supply and access
If you would like to jump to information on a specific wellbeing domain, click one of the squares.
This report was prepared by Lauren Renshaw and Sadhana Seriamlu (ARACY).
3 Looking Ahead
Affordable broadband is needed to help kids thrive in online schooling David Spriggs is the Chair of the Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA) and the CEO of Infoxchange. The ADIA is a shared initiative with over 500 business, government, academic and community organisations working together to accelerate action on digital inclusion.
With the highly contagious Delta strain of COVID-19 on our shores and vaccines not yet widely available, it is becoming apparent Australia is facing several months of lockdowns. The restrictions are seeing more and more children learning from home, fully reliant on devices and a stable internet connection to participate in school. For some families it’s not difficult to charge a few iPads and log on to their home Wi-Fi. But for many Australians, the pivot to online schooling can be daunting and sometimes impossible. According to the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, more than 2.5 million Australians remain offline, not having the devices or internet connections they need to participate in a digital society. Affordability plays a significant role in digital exclusion, with low-income households having a lower digital inclusion score. Also, mobile-only users have a lower score and are paying more per gigabyte than a fixed connection. Offline Australians, regardless of age, are being left behind in the age of COVID-19. Checking into venues via QR codes, applying for disaster payments and registering for vital Government services that have moved online, all require digital connection and know-how, which is further exacerbating the gap between online and offline citizens. When it comes to schooling, we are seeing troubling data around the digital divide. The June 2020 South Australian Council of Social Service and Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) report found that nearly 50% of low-income families had difficulty paying for home internet. Other research backs these findings. The Queensland Auditor General released a report, saying, “Through the department’s survey, students and parents or caregivers reported that not all students have access to the internet at home. The percentage of students without internet access increases for low-income households.” The report shows 10% of students in the lowest socioeconomic quintile did not have access to the internet at home and 14% of students in the same cohort did not have access to a device. Schools and organisations have worked hard over the last 18 months to ensure digitally excluded students can still participate in school. For example, the Queensland Department of Education in 2020 gave out 5,200 devices to schools, and NSW has distributed 20,000 devices and 13,000 dongles to students since the beginning of the pandemic. Optus and The Smith Family also have an initiative to help digitally excluded students access the internet through free prepaid sim cards with data. Even with support from schools and other organisations, the stories of students unable to attend school because they don’t have the device or internet required are numerous and heart breaking. In May, the Federal Government released the Digital Economy Strategy, which maps the Government’s pathway to become a “leading digital economy and society by 2030.” But the Government missed a vital opportunity to make digital inclusion the cornerstone of the Strategy.
4 Looking Ahead
In encouraging news, since its release, the Government has identified areas to strengthen in the Strategy including by increasing the focus on digital inclusion, which was a welcomed announcement. The Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA) believes in order to make Australia a leading digital economy, we must ensure all Australians are able to participate. In October 2020, the ADIA released a position paper outlining what should be done to increase digital inclusion in Australia. We called for a National Digital Inclusion Roadmap to address the issues of accessibility, ability and affordability. In the paper, the ADIA urged the Federal Government to take action to ensure permanent internet affordability measures. ACCAN has the No Australian Left Offline initiative that calls for an affordable broadband option for low-income households, which the ADIA supports. Without affordable internet access, the digital divide will continue to widen, and children and adults alike will be left behind as our society digitises. If COVID-19 has a silver lining, it’s that it brought digital inclusion to the forefront of policy makers’ minds. When work, school, society and the economy were pushed online simultaneously, it made the digital divide clearer than it ever has been before. However, if Australia - at a time when we are frequently in and out of lockdowns - does not ensure our children have the devices and internet needed to thrive in school from home, then our priorities are misplaced. School kids across Australia are living through this pandemic with the rest of the world, and we need to ensure that no child is left behind.
The 500+ business, government, academic and community member organisations of the Australian Digital Inclusion Alliance (ADIA) conduct a variety of research and practical programs aimed at reducing the digital divide and enabling greater social and economic participation for everyone in Australia. ADIA is supported by Infoxchange, Google and Telstra. Australia Post was also a founding partner. Find out more at: www.digitalinclusion.org.au
5 Every child thrives Material Basics and survives
This wellbeing domain represents children having their basic needs met. This includes a roof over their heads, sufficient family access to income and access to basic goods such as food, clothes, toys and technology. Given the economic crisis that is following the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to assess how these multiple crises have impacted children and young people.
Australian data sources Much of the existing data on the availability of material basics for children and young people are extrapolated from that collected at the population level. However, there is an increasing amount of data collected on the short and potential long-term economic impacts of COVID-19 specifically on young people and young adults, and surveys collected among these groups on their perspectives and experiences over the last year. There is no data collected specifically on young children’s access to material basics as impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. • 2021 Intergenerational Report1 • Anglicare rental affordability snapshot 20212 • ABS Labour Force Survey3 • ABS Household Impacts of COVID-19 survey series4 • ABS Participation, Job Search and Mobility Survey5 • ABS Weekly payroll data6 • ACOSS report - Financial stress in lockdown7 • Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) – Domestic violence survey8 • ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods - Financial Stress and Social Security Settings in Australia [modelling project]9 • ANUPoll COVID-19 series (COVID-19 Impact Monitoring Survey Program)10 • AIFS Life during COVID-19 Survey11 • AIFS Families in Australia Survey - Towards COVID Normal12 • AIHW Australia’s Youth report – COVID-19 and the impact on young people (secondary data source but provides a comprehensive analysis and collation of data and information)13 • Burnet Institute/VicHealth Coping with COVID-19 study14 • COVID-19 pandemic adjustment study15,16,17 • DSS Payment Demographic data18 • Equity Economics disadvantage forecast – A wave of disadvantage across NSW: Impact of the COVID-19 recession19 • Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey20 • Impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people who contact Kids Helpline21,22 • Our Lives Longitudinal Study23 • Melbourne Institute’s Taking the Pulse of the Nation survey24 • Mission Australia Youth Survey25 • VicHealth Coronavirus Victorian Wellbeing Impact Study – follow up survey26 • The ACOSS/UNSW Poverty in Australia 2020 Report27 • Twenty10 case study and survey28 • SNAICC COVID-19 Ongoing Impacts Survey report29 • UTS study – The experience of precarious housing among international students30 • Survey of temporary migrants - As if we weren’t humans: The abandonment of temporary migrants in Australia during COVID-1931 • The 100 families WA Project32
6 Every child thrives Material Basics and survives
• University of Melbourne’s Hallmark Research Initiative – The Impact of COVID-19 on Victorian share households33,34 • YouthInsight survey series35 • Youth Unemployment Monitor, Brotherhood St Laurence36
Headline Indicators • Out of those who wanted and were otherwise available to work in February 2021, childcare was the second most commonly reported reason people were not actively looking for work (16% of responses, n=138,700) 37 • Data from Foodbank NSW/ACT and from Ask Izzy, an online search platform for support services (hosted by Infoxchange), showed:
o Foodbank NSW/ACT has a backlog of over 10,000 food relief requests as at 19 July 2021 o International students have made 20,000 requests for food hampers since 6 July 2021 o Foodbank is now processing as many hampers a day as they did in a week before lockdown began, 2,500 – 3,500 emergency relief hampers a day o Online searches in NSW for emergency relief services on Ask Izzy increased by over 800% during the period from 26 June to 14 July 2021 o Searches for Financial Assistance in Ask Izzy have doubled in number during the 2021 Greater Sydney lockdown period, and increased by 50% in Victoria during the period of the May-June lockdown. o During the May-June Victorian lockdown, there was a 120% increase in searches for emergency relief, with almost one in four searches relating to food relief.
Links and resources • Reports and resources o ACOSS report – Financial distress in lockdown: The impact of lockdowns on demand for food relief and financial assistance • News articles o Career opportunities open for Newcastle youth o Young jobseekers find work on Queensland farms after years of applying for jobs o New homeless generation grows as young people struggle to find housing o Federal government to spend extra $40-50m in COVID-19 assistance for childcare centres - ABC News o Victoria's COVID lockdown child care closure leaves families and centres with few options - ABC News o Australia's fertility rate is at a record low. This expert says it's a disaster waiting to happen
7 Every child thrives Material Basics and survives
• The Conversation articles o Vital Signs: amid the lockdown gloom, Australia’s jobless rate hits decade low of 4.9% o Australia was a model for protecting people from COVID-19 — and then we dumped half a million people back into poverty
A focus on … social security post-JobKeeper A recent report by ACOSS38 showed the immediate financial impact of COVID-19 public health orders and restrictions on households and families. Foodbank in NSW was delivering the same volume of emergency relief in a day in July this year that they were previously distributing in a week, and backlog numbers reached over 10,000. Twenty thousand requests from international students were made for emergency food hampers since 6 July 2021. Although the analysis was largely restricted to NSW, it showed that the areas that received the most severe ‘lockdown’’ restrictions (the local government areas (LGAs) of Liverpool, Fairfield and Canterbury-Bankstown) were already experiencing high levels of food insecurity (determined by the volume of food delivered by Foodbank regularly, prior to July’s state public health orders). Therefore, the impacts were felt most keenly by those already vulnerable. Although there have been state imposed public health orders restricting individual movements and business activity since JobKeeper ceased in March/April 2021, it was not until June this year that federally funded support was reinstated for those affected. Currently, social security payments for individuals and businesses affected by state-implemented COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns are a mix of federal, state and territory funded payments, grants, rebates, tax concessions and fee exemptions – varying by jurisdiction.39 The Australian Government is responsible for the COVID-19 Disaster Payments, which is a lump sum payment available to individuals whose paid work is affected by a pandemic-related state or territory health order. At the time of writing, it includes a payment of $450 per week to eligible individuals if between eight to nineteen hours of paid work is lost, and $750 if twenty hours or more is lost. Individuals receiving income support and have lost a full-day’s work (8 hours) or more in a week are entitled to receive $200 in addition to their income support payment.40 Importantly, this payment is also available to non-residents with a valid work visa. This is an increase to the payment available in June to early-August, which excluded those receiving income support and included lower amounts for those that lost paid work. The exclusion of people receiving JobSeeker or other forms of income support was heavily criticised and resulted in severe financial distress for some households and individuals.41 At the time of writing, the COVID-19 Disaster Payment has been available to eligible individuals in NSW, ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory – covering differing time periods aligning with state and territory public health orders. Supports for businesses are primarily provided by state and territory governments.42 The New South Wales (NSW) Government have implemented the JobSaver program, which provides eligible businesses, sole traders and not-for-profit organisations a proportion of their weekly payroll (with minimum and maximum caps).43
8 Every child thrives Material Basics and survives
A range of grants, rebates, and tax deferrals and concessions are also available for eligible businesses44, as is the case in Victoria45, Australian Capital Territory (ACT)46, South Australia47, Tasmania48, and Western Australia.49 The NSW government has also established payments to eligible workers who have to isolate because they are a close contact of a COVID-19 case or they are caring for a close contact (Pandemic leave payment)50, or while they are awaiting a COVID-19 test result (Test and Isolate payments).51 The Australian Red Cross also provides hardship payments to individuals on temporary visas who cannot access other means of financial support, varying by jurisdiction52.
What can we do to help? The social security system regarding impacts of COVID-19 related public health orders for households and businesses is ever-changing as it seeks to adapt to evolving public health scenarios. It is important that communities and households have an understanding of what payments they qualify for, and that the process of applying for payments is straightforward. Consideration of the linguistic and cultural needs of the communities most severely affected by public health orders needs to be incorporated into the communication and messaging around these processes and systems. However, families’ experiences with finding out information and with the application process itself is largely unknown. Collecting information on people’s experiences with the social security system during lockdowns would be a vital tool in ensuring the resilience of families and communities and that their material needs are met. The current COVID-19 Disaster Payment is more inclusive than the previous JobKeeper program in terms of eligibility – it includes casual workers without conditions on how long they had been working for their employer, and non-residents on visas with work conditions. However, they have been calls to re-instate the more generous amount provided by JobKeeper, at least to specific industries hit hardest.53
What does the future hold? The federal government has recently announced support for early childhood education and care (ECEC) providers, contingent on keeping staff during lockdown.54 This indicates an approach for supporting specific industries and sectors that are hardest hit by the pandemic lockdowns. The ECEC sector is a specific area requiring support, given the importance of the sector’s resilience in supporting families with young children to work. Childcare remains a substantial barrier for parents and carers, being one of the most reported reasons for not actively looking for work. 55
Other risks and areas of expected impact:
Return to the Introduction
9 Every child is protected from Loved and Safe violence and exploitation
A child needs to be loved and safe to grow, be free from violence and have social supports. The COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the ability of children to be adequately protected through reduced contact with friends and family, family conflict and violence, the reduced capacity of the child protection system, and increases in bullying and social exclusion.
Australian data sources Recent data sources within Australia have provided deeper insights into supports for families, family violence, family relationships, relationships with friends and the changes in patterns of caring for children. A growing number include the voices of children. Available data sources include: • Alannah and Madeline Foundation report – This Digital Home56 • ABS Household Impacts of COVID-19 survey series57 • Australian Childhood Foundation parent survey – A lasting legacy – The impact of COVID-19 on children and parents58 • ANUPoll COVID-19 series (COVID-19 Impact Monitoring Survey Program)59 • Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) – Domestic violence survey60,61,62 • AIHW Australia’s Youth report – COVID-19 and the impact on young people63 • AIHW Child Protection Data64 • AIHW Specialist Homeless Services Collection65 • AIFS Life during COVID-19 Survey66 • AIFS Families in Australia Survey - Towards COVID Normal67 • CCYP consultation with children68 • Children’s Health Queensland COVID-19 Unmasked Survey69 • COVID-19 pandemic adjustment study70,71,72 • Cross-sectional survey on maternity health services73 • Drummond Street Services and Centre for Family Research and Evaluation – Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on client needs & Drummond Street's response74 • Equity Economics disadvantage forecast – A wave of disadvantage across NSW: Impact of the COVID-19 recession75 • Impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people who contact Kids Helpline76,77 • Monash University project - Gender-based violence and help-seeking behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic78 • Mothers’ and young people’s study79 • NSW BOCSAR report – Monitoring changes in domestic violence in the wake of COVID-19 social isolation measures80 • Royal Children's Hospital Child Health Poll81 • Relationships Australia survey – COVID-19 and its effects on relationships82 • SNAICC Covid-19 Ongoing Impacts Survey report83 • Triple P Parenting program statistics84 • UNICEF 'Living in Limbo' project85 • University of Sydney report - NSW Carer Support Needs86 • Youth Justice NSW and Youth Justice Health and Forensic Mental Health Network self-harm incident data87
10 Every child is protected from Loved and Safe violence and exploitation
Headline Indicators • The majority of individuals representing out-of-home-care organisations in NSW surveyed (89%) reported that there were more support needs for foster and kinship carers as a result of COVID-19. 88 • The majority (74%) of individuals representing out-of-home-care organisations in NSW surveyed agreed that COVID-19 had led to the emergence of systemic gaps in the provision of services to carers. Of those who identified systemic gaps, the largest group identified issues related to service continuity (n=9) followed by the operation of the courts (n=5).89
Links and resources • Reports and resources o NSW Carer Support Needs: Coping in the context of COVID-19 • News articles o The nanny boom: pandemic drives parents to seek extra help • The Conversation article o School students who had COVID-19 report stigma and bullying. How can we stop it? • International research o Strong relationships will be the key to fighting children’s COVID blues, researchers say
A focus on … supporting kinship and foster carers during pandemic restrictions There is little information collected on the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people in out- of-home-care, and foster and kinship carers. A recent University of Sydney report is an exemption, which analyses multiple data sources to examine the needs of carers in NSW during the pandemic. 90 A survey of out-of-home care organisations showed that the majority (89%) identified that there were more support needs for carers as a result of COVID-19. The majority (74%) of respondents also identified one or more ways in which COVID-19 had led to the emergence of systemic gaps in the provision of services to carers. “ … the largest group identified issues related to service continuity (n=9) followed by the operation of the courts (n=5). Regarding service continuity, respondents noted several challenges including responding in new ways to meet needs; maintaining interagency collaboration; and providing face to face support. In relation to … court systems, respondents primarily identified delays in court proceedings and lack of responsiveness. Other systemic gaps identified included difficulties in facilitating birth family contact, lack of access to technology, and lack of access to respite for carers.
Collings, Wright, Wardle, Wilkinson, Gilroy, & Pinckham, 2021, p.1991
11 Every child is protected from Loved and Safe violence and exploitation
Combining the survey results, data on carers’ requests for support, and case studies, several themes emerge. • Access to technology remained an unmet need, both in terms of access to equipment, internet connection and familiarity of carers with digital platforms and technology. • Anxiety among vulnerable carers (particularly those in older age groups) about the increased risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. • Negative impact of disrupted routines for children in out-of-home care. • Impact of reduced case management support in facilitating children’s access to family time and contact. • Increase in household stressors, including: o Difficulties in managing an increase in challenging behaviours displayed by children in out-of-home care (although this appeared to be less of an issue for Aboriginal kinship carers). o Financial hardship and social inequality was noted by Aboriginal workers at community-based organisations. • Importance of informal support, particularly for Aboriginal kinship carers, with strong connections to community emerging as an important protective factor for Elders caring for children and young people. • Importance of respite care for foster carers, which emerged as another unmet need during the pandemic.
What can we do to help? The report92 highlighted a number of recommendations, which included: • Initiate a discretionary ‘pandemic’ fund to allow community organisations to distribute financial aid and target support to families in need. • Provide a discretionary ‘pandemic’ assistance package for all carers during lockdowns. • Fund a statewide carer support service that initiates and maintains contact with isolated carer families during lockdowns. • Ensure equitable provision of technology, devices and internet connectivity to diminish the digital divide in access to school and services. • Review communication protocols used by schools to ensure messages to families and students about attendance are clear and culturally safe. • Promote, reward and share flexible and creative casework practices for connecting with families during lockdowns. • Urge Government-funded out-of-home care organisations to actively seek to partner respectfully with the local Aboriginal communities who know their families best. • Nurture opportunities for cultural exchange between out-of-home care organisations and local Aboriginal communities and invest time and other resources in learning about local customs, beliefs and practices.
12 Every child is protected from Loved and Safe violence and exploitation
What does the future hold? There is little information or research surrounding the needs of children and young people in out-of- home care and their carers in terms of the impact of COVID-19 and associated public health restrictions, particularly regarding the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kinship carers, who often seek support outside of the out-of-home care system. Further research and examination is required to better understand the needs of these children, their carers, and the services that support them. This includes examination of protective as well risk factors, determining what scenarios within the context of the pandemic resulted in positive outcomes in addition to where there are gaps in support.
Other risks and areas of expected impact
Return to the Introduction
13 Every child survives Healthy and thrives
This wellbeing domain represents children being healthy, both physically and mentally. COVID-19 has had a substantial impact on the health of all individuals affected, both directly and indirectly, by the pandemic. This is no less true for children and young people in Australia. Furthermore, there are indirect health impacts from COVID-19 that can be felt across a number of domains.
Australian data sources A growing number of data sources are examining the impact of COVID-19 on the health of children and young people. Major focus areas include COVID-19 transmission, infection and vaccination, and the mental health impacts of restrictions. Studies are also starting to collect and examine data on the impact on other health areas such as physical activity and diet, and maternal and infant health. Available data sources in Australia include: • ABS Household Impacts of COVID-19 survey series93 • Australian Capital Territory COVID-19 statistics94 • Australian Childhood Foundation parent survey – A lasting legacy – The impact of COVID-19 on children and parents95 • AIFS Life during COVID-19 Survey96 • AIHW Australia’s Youth report – COVID-19 and the impact on young people (secondary data source but provides a comprehensive analysis and collation of data and information)97 • AIHW Suicide & self-harm monitoring data98 • ANUPoll COVID-19 series (COVID-19 Impact Monitoring Survey Program)99 • Australian Parental Supply of Alcohol Longitudinal Study (APSALS)100 • BRACE project101 • Burnet Institute/VicHealth Coping with COVID-19 study102 • CCYP consultation with children103 • CYDA’s 2020 COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and children and young people with disability survey104 • Children’s Health Queensland COVID-19 Unmasked Survey105 • COVID-19 pandemic adjustment study106,107,108 • Cross-sectional survey on maternity health services109 • Department of Health - COVID-19 cases by age group and sex110 • Equity Economics disadvantage forecast – A wave of disadvantage across NSW: Impact of the COVID-19 recession111 • Headspace National Youth Mental Health Survey 2020112 • Global Drug Survey113 • Impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people who contact Kids Helpline114,115 • Mind the Distance survey116 • Mission Australia Youth Survey117 • Mothers’ and young people’s study118 • NSW COVID-19 statistics119 • Northern Territory COVID-19 statistics120 • Optimise study121 • Our Lives Longitudinal Study • Queensland COVID-19 statistics122
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• Queensland Health COVID-19 Unmasked survey123 • Royal Children's Hospital Child Health Poll124 • South Australia COVD-19 statistics125 • Sport Australia – AusPlay survey and Community Perceptions Monitor126 • SNAICC Covid-19 Ongoing Impacts Survey report127 • Tasmania COVID-19 statistics128 • The 100 families WA Project129 • Twenty10 case study survey130 • University of Melbourne’s Hallmark Research Initiative – The Impact of COVID-19 on Victorian share households131,132 • UNSW self-report survey on adolescents133 • University of Sydney modelling project – Road to recovery: Restoring Australia's mental wealth134 • UNICEF 'Living in Limbo' project135 • VicHealth Coronavirus Victorian Wellbeing Impact Study – follow up survey136 • Victoria Coronavirus (COVID-19) Data137 • Western Australia COVID-19 statistics138,139 • YouthInsight survey series140
Headline indicators • As of 12th August, one in three people infected with COVID-19 in NSW in the past week have been 19 years old or younger.141 • Out of young people surveyed, females were more likely to identify concerns with the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health compared with males (making up over two-thirds (69.9%) of young people that cited mental health concerns).142
o Young people that cited mental health concerns related to COVID-19 were more likely to self-report psychological distress compared with those citing other concerns (such as education or isolation; 17.5% cf. 11.8%) • Testing saliva for COVID-19 as well as standard oropharyngeal-nasal swabs increased case detection by 59%. Positive test concordance for the two specimen types was 35% (19 of 54 SARS-CoV-2-positive people), but only 11% for children under 10 (two of 19).143
Links and resources • Reports and resources o Emerging Minds– Supporting children’s mental health during a pandemic toolkit o Raising Children Network (updated) – https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z- health-reference/coronavirus-and-children-in-australia o Mission Australia Youth Survey sub-report – Young voices of the Pandemic • Peer-reviewed Australian research
15 Every child survives Healthy and thrives
o Adding saliva testing to oropharyngeal and deep nasal swab testing increases PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 in primary care and children • Analysis pieces o Will Covid become a disease of the young? The world is watching England to find out o Vaccinating young men is the key to ending COVID lockdowns — but we're going about it all wrong o Why social conditions need to guide our COVID-19 policies o Schools are Australia's new COVID battleground. How risky are they really? • News articles COVID-19 infections o Why Delta COVID-19 variant could put younger people at risk of deadly cardiac complications o Sydney Covid Delta variant outbreak ‘an epidemic of young people’ o Lockdown ‘critical’ as young people drive Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak o NSW Health data shows under 30s bear the brunt of COVID-19 Delta strain infections o Brisbane father of COVID-positive child fears Delta strain unable to be contained o Children are contracting COVID-19 but what are the risks? We answer your questions o COVID-19 positive children 'very frightened' and separated from parents at Sydney's Westmead Hospital o Children and teens account for one third of COVID-19 cases in NSW o Doctors worried about COVID-19 in children after death of 15-year-old in Sydney o ‘What is happening to me?’ The teenagers trying to make sense of long Covid Vaccinations o ‘I got selfish’: Young Sydney residents using ‘secret’ vaccine website to get Pfizer o Australia's TGA finds Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is safe for children aged 12 to 15 o The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been approved for kids aged 12-15. Here's what happens next o Should Australia's COVID-19 vaccination efforts be turning to children? o Pfizer jab given green light for Indigenous children 12 to 15 o Accelerated jabs for younger people after Doherty modelling shows it’s vital to vaccinate them quickly o Moderna names Australia among potential locations for COVID vaccine trial on children aged 6 months to 12 years o Young people have been labelled 'peak spreaders', but many are struggling to get COVID vaccines o Young people explain why they are seeking out COVID-19 jabs o Rush to get COVID-19 vaccine at Highgate Park clinic allowing jabs for people not eligible under SA Health rules o Australia to receive 1 million more Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine doses from Poland, young people in Sydney to be prioritised o Hundreds of thousands of young Sydneysiders can get a priority Pfizer vaccine from today
16 Every child survives Healthy and thrives
o Moderna names Australia among potential locations for COVID vaccine trial on children aged 6 months to 12 years o LGNSW welcomes vaccine availability while asking for ongoing support as COVID grows (thesector.com.au) o ADF vaccination teams sent to western NSW to stem Covid outbreak in Indigenous communities o NSW intensive care specialist warns young people to get vaccinated against COVID- 19 o NSW wants 12-15 age group to be vaccinated 'quickly' to curb community transmission Other news o Kids are dropping out of organised sport and it's hoped Brisbane 2032 will get them back o Mask restrictions roll out for thousands of Queensland school students in wake of COVID Delta outbreak o COVID-19 highlights Victoria's poor mental health infrastructure and lack of funding, experts say • The Conversation articles o Younger adults can get very sick and die from COVID too. Here’s what the data tell us o Is it more infectious? Is it spreading in schools? This is what we know about the Delta variant and kids o First Nations people urgently need to get vaccinated, but are not being consulted on the rollout strategy o Should we vaccinate children against COVID-19? We asked 5 experts o School students at the heart of a COVID outbreak change the story of how it spreads o We may need to vaccinate children as young as 5 to reach herd immunity with Delta, our modelling shows o Younger adults can get very sick and die from COVID too. Here’s what the data tell us o Pfizer from Poland directed to young super spreaders o Uni students have had to be vaccinated against other diseases — COVID-19 is no different (theconversation.com) o Pfizer vaccinations for 16 to 39-year-olds is welcome news. But AstraZeneca remains a good option (theconversation.com) o High priority: why we must vaccinate children aged 12 and over now o Children need playgrounds now, more than ever. We can reduce COVID risk and keep them open • Media release o #ChatStarter to support the mental health of Australia’s children, young people and parents
17 Every child survives Healthy and thrives
A focus on … the changing face of COVID-19 research and public health advice for children and young people in Australia The pace of research and data analysis surrounding the health impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people, and the effects and efficacy of vaccines, has gathered speed internationally and in Australia with the spread of the Delta strain. Much of the data is being analysed and relayed in real- time, as new outbreaks spread globally across vaccinated and unvaccinated populations and cohorts. As outlined in the June Digest, at the time of writing, although there were indications that strains such as the Delta may be more transmissible and result in more severe health effects among children and young people compared with the initial strain, it was difficult to determine whether these effects held across all age-groups, or were specific to children and young people. The fact that older age groups were vaccinated, whereas children and young people were more likely not to be vaccinated, further confounded efforts to determine this. This remains largely unknown.144 International data shows, however, that the Delta variant is more contagious than initial strains across all age-groups145,146– and this has undoubtedly translated into the current spread in Sydney and Melbourne. The recent outbreak in Queensland among a web of schools, and an outbreak in Melbourne across primary schools, also shows the potential for outbreaks to stem from and spread among young people and children, not seen to the same extent earlier in the pandemic. These outbreaks among schools, and the higher transmissibility of the Delta strain among household members, has resulted in a staggering proportion of infections among young children – as of 12th August, one in three people infected with COVID-19 in NSW in the past week were 19 years old or younger, and it was reported on the 19th August that 45 percent of active cases in Melbourne were children and teenagers.147 These greater proportions are also driven by the higher vaccination rates among older cohorts, which decreases the likelihood of infections among these groups and hence overall numbers. Although young children and teenagers still appear to have less severe symptoms and rates of hospitalisations with the Delta strain, on the 23rd August, of the 100 people in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in NSW with COVID-19, one was a teenager and seven were in their twenties. 148 Recent deaths of young people in their teens149, twenties150 and thirties151 have also highlighted the importance of vaccination among these age-groups in the face of the Delta variant. There is also emerging evidence of the impact of ‘long-COVID’ on children and young people (see April digest), and the rare cases of paediatric inflammatory multi-system syndrome associated with COVID-19 - which gain a new context with the increase in transmissibility of the Delta variant and overall numbers of COVID-19 infections among children and young people.
What can we do to help? Rolling out vaccines to adolescents152 and young people aged 20 to 30 should be a priority, given the high risk of them spreading the virus due the fact they are more mobile (socially and in the context of work and school) and in the case of young adults, more likely to live in shared households with essential workers from a range of workplaces.153 Targeting those less likely to seek vaccination, such as young males154, is also warranted. Other issues relating to the coordination of the vaccine rollout among young people is discussed in the Participating domain of this month’s digest.
18 Every child survives Healthy and thrives
Having the adults and young people in the lives of young children under the age of 12 years fully vaccinated until the safety and efficacy of the vaccines are confirmed for this young age group should also be a priority - including early childhood educators, teachers and school staff. Continuing to monitor the long-term health outcomes of children and young people that have been infected by the Delta strain of COVID-19 is also important to ensure that their health and wellbeing needs are met and planned for.
What does the future hold? The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved the Pfizer vaccine for use among children aged 12 to 16 years in July, the first vaccine to be approved for children of any age under 16 years in Australia.155 with trials showing high efficacy of the vaccine in reducing symptomatic COVID-19 among adolescents.156 Children in this age group with underlying medical conditions, who identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and/or who receive support under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) are currently eligible under the national roll-out program. The growing demand and limited supply of the Pfizer vaccine among older cohorts, particularly those aged 20-39 years, means it may be several months before children are included in the vaccination program more broadly. It was only recently announced that people aged 16 to 39 years would be eligible for the Pfizer vaccine nationally at the end of August.157 Moderna has also listed Australia as a potential site for trialling their vaccine among children aged six months to 12 years.158
Other risks and areas of expected impact
Return to the Introduction
19 Learning Every child learns
This wellbeing domain represents children having the opportunity to learn at home, at school, and in the community. COVID-19 has affected children’s opportunities to learn in a number of ways, such as through school closures and physical distancing measures.
Australian data sources The majority of data sources have been produced to examine the potential impact of COVID-19 on education from a systems-level perspective, and to collate the experiences from teachers and parents. However, there are increasingly data and information collected directly from children and young people. • 2020 Report to the NSW Department of Education: Evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on NSW schools159 • 25 Years of LSAY: Research from the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth 2020160 • ABS Education and Work Survey May 2020161 • Australian Council of State Schools Organisations Survey162 • Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020163 • Australian Education Survey164 • AIHW Australia’s Youth report – COVID-19 and the impact on young people (secondary data source but provides a comprehensive analysis and collation of data and information)165 • AIFS Families in Australia Survey - Towards COVID Normal166 • ANUPoll COVID-19 series (COVID-19 Impact Monitoring Survey Program)167 • Centre for Independent Studies - Parents’ perspectives on home-based learning in the covid- 19 pandemic168 • Children’s Voices in a Changing World: 2021 UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador Report169 • COVID-19 and education: how Australian schools are responding and what happens next170 • COVID-19 and Youth Employment 2020: CSI Response171 • CCYP Victoria COVID consultations172 • Employer Satisfaction Survey 2020173 • Equity Economics disadvantage forecast – A wave of disadvantage across NSW: Impact of the COVID-19 recession174 • Export Income to Australia from International Education Activity Snapshot175 • Learning through COVID-19 Pillar 3 Report 2021176 • Monash University Australian Schooling Survey177 • National Student Outcomes Survey 2020178 • Not even remotely fair: Experiences of students with disability during COVID-19 Report 2020179 • Pivot Professional Learning survey180 • QILT 2020 Student Experience Survey181 • Skills for Recovery: The Vocational Education System we need Post-COVID-19 Report182 • SNAICC Covid-19 Ongoing Impacts Survey report183 • TEQSA The Student Experience of Online Learning in Australian Higher Education during COVID-19184
20 Learning Every child learns
• The Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2020185 • The Smith Family Survey: The impact on education of children living in poverty186 • UNICEF 'Living in Limbo' project187 • Where Next for Tertiary Education: 2020 PwC Report188 • YouthInsight survey series189 • Evaluation of the impacts of COVID-19 on NSW schools 2020190 • National plan to transition to Australia’s national COVID-19 response: economic impact analysis191
Headline indicators • Almost 3,000 HSC students set to receive their jab were frustrated with last-minute changes and cancellations to mass COVID-19 vaccination system192 • Just 7.5% of 16-19-year-olds have had their first dose across Australia, with more than 1 in 20 young people in NSW receiving their first dose in the past week193 • Year 12 students in the eight Sydney local government areas of concern are not able to return to school, with trial HSC examination expected to take place remotely194 • An estimated 50% low-income families with children and young people continue to struggle to pay for internet195
Links and resources • Research articles – o School education during COVID-19: Were teachers and students ready? o The economic impacts of learning losses o Exams tested by Covid‑19: An opportunity to rethink standardized senior secondary examinations o The state of school education: One year into the COVID pandemic o High-stakes examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic: to proceed or not to proceed, that is the question o The impact of learning at home on the education outcomes of vulnerable children in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic o Delta to dominate world o Tackling COVID-19 over the long term
• News articles – o Students in NSW stressed as Covid lockdowns disrupt school and year 12 trial exams o NSW HSC students to do trial exams and assessments at home under new plan o HSC students frustrated with last-minute changes to mass Covid-19 vaccination system
21 Learning Every child learns
o Let’s face it — children miss valuable ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ learning moments during remote schooling o Vaccine cancellations in the Hunter 'a little bit like The Hunger Games' o Sydney Covid Delta variant outbreak ‘an epidemic of young people’ o Gladys Berejiklian changes course on HSC students returning to school o COVID-19 has widened Australia's educational digital divide. But one program is closing the gap
A focus on … the strain of looming HSC exams COVID-19 has not only exposed existing disparities and issues - from intergenerational disadvantage and educational disengagement to adverse mental health effects and discrimination - but further highlighted missed opportunities in learning and its long-term impacts on the labour market. As Government investments and policy responses seek to tackle these challenges, the dominance of the Delta variant creates new issues, with children and young people appearing to be at greater risk both of becoming infected with this variant and transmitting it196,197,198. Economic analysis across the OECD countries has so far focused on the short-term impact of business closures on unemployment, and on methods to provide safety nets for individuals directly harmed. In doing so, it has left out consideration of longer-term issues that may be challenging to confront199. In the urgency of dealing with the immediate and obvious issues of the pandemic, especially with the rapidly evolving landscape of the Delta variant, it is also critical to focus on the pandemic-induced learning losses that could throw long shadows over the overall wellbeing of young Australians. As discussed in the May 2021 digest, Year 12 exams in Australia are a stressful time for young people in general, with their marks contributing to university entry, hence determining career paths and future earning potential200. For example, Year 12 students in Greater Sydney will sit assessments and trial HSC exams from home using online platforms under a revised, flexible and pandemic-blueprint, revealed by the NSW government201, alongside a planned priority vaccine roll-out to try and get them back into classrooms. However, there remain no plans to prioritise teachers or early educators. The World Bank has identified three common responses to high-stakes school exams around the world during COVID-19202,203: • Cancellation of examinations (most common response among most OECD countries), as was the case with General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams in Britain • Postponement with examinations, as with the delayed Diploma of Secondary Education exams in Hong Kong • Continuation of examinations in a modified format (online), as with the Caribbean Examination Council While experts across the world acknowledge that there is no definite solution, there is considerable research attention on how cancellation or postponement of exams might affect student outcomes204,205,206, not only for academic performance but also the mental health of students and potential opportunities to further tackle issues such as digital exclusion207.
22 Learning Every child learns
One international study unpacked the theme of decision-making about examinations during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides another perspective. While this study takes a unique focus on identifying high-stakes assessments as examinations with specific licensing requirements (medical studies), it shows the extent to which some high-level examinations have decided to postpone or cancel their examinations, based on the requirement for such assessments to be in the same format as pre-pandemic years for validity and maintenance of standards208, 209. Emerging studies continue to highlight the prevalence and the great impacts of lost learning opportunity due to COVID-19210,211. It is essential that a clear and thought-out process exists for students to ensure they receive the curriculum intended.
What can we do to help? It’s unsurprising that high-stakes assessments in a period of uncertainty is stressful for students. Research has shown the impacts of exams on the mental health of children and young people212,213. While there are no rigorous studies on the impact of hybrid models, there is substantial anecdotal evidence that children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and students with learning difficulties have a particularly difficult time coping with remote learning and assessment. Therefore, it’s critical that governments demonstrate empathy and flexibly adapt curricula to reflect realistic academic expectations. Immediate, holistic and concrete measures need to be taken to provide effective learning for all age groups – from improving remote learning infrastructure to developing constructive ways to re-open schools to all children and adolescents. The World Bank notes the importance of ensuring that if exams move to an online format, fair access is given for all students using strategies and approaches that allow students in COVID-affected areas, rural or remote regions and those living with disability to equitably take online exams 214.
What does the future hold? The pandemic has widened achievement gaps and exposed weaknesses in school systems around the world. However, educators and governments now have an opportunity to reimagine a more equitable and resilient education system along with assessment styles and formats in the post- COVID-19 paradigm215. As we prepare and pandemic-proof Australia’s education system, there is a need for continuing international conversations and research of robust evidence-based strategies.
Other risks and areas of expected impact
Return to the Introduction
23 Every child survives Participating and thrives
This wellbeing domain represents the opportunity children and young people have to participate in their society and have a say on issues that affect them. This is no less important in the COVID-19 context.
Australian data sources There is a small but growing list of data sources available to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on the opportunity for children and young people to participate in society. This includes: opportunity for children and young people to participate in society. This includes: • ANUPoll COVID-19 series216 • AIFS Life during COVID-19 Survey217 • Our Lives Longitudinal Study218 • Missing: Young People in Australian News Media219 • Mission Australia Youth Survey220 • SNAICC Covid-19 Ongoing Impacts Survey report221 • UNICEF 'Living in Limbo' project222 • YouthInsight survey series223 • Relationships Australia survey – cyberbullying in Australia224 • Roy Morgan TikTok Usage Survey225 • eSafety Commissioner Youth Digital Participation Survey 2020226 • Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Cyberbullying Report227 • Australian Youth Safety Survey 2020 – Technical Report228 • AIHW Australia’s Children 2020 Report229 • AIFS Online Safety Resource Sheet230 • Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation 2020 Report231 • Digital Lives of Teens 2021 Report232 • Building Australia’s Digital Future in a Post-COVID World 2020233 • Growing Up Digital Australia: 2020 Technical Report234 • Digital Consumer Trends 2020: Unlocking Lockdown235 • Online Child Sexual Exploitation 2020 Survey236 • Deloitte Media Consumer Survey 2020237 • COVID-19 The Power of Your People Report238 • Changes in Online Gambling during the COVID-19 Survey239 • NSW Youth Gambling Study 2020240 • Australian Community Attitudes to Privacy Survey 2020241 • Gambling on Games Report 2020242 • Gambling in Australia during COVID-19243 • Profiling Children for Advertising244 • Burnet Institute/VicHealth Coping with COVID-19 study245 • National Plan to Transition to Australia’s National COVID-19 Response246 • Tackling COVID-19 over the long term247 • COVID-19 Misinformation Trends in Australia: Prospective Longitudinal National Survey248
24 Every child survives Participating and thrives
Headline indicators • Only 19.1% of Australian population has been fully vaccinated249 • Data from NSW Health shows out of the 2,397 cases reported so far, 583 are children and teenagers, with 223 aged between 0-9 and 360 aged between 10 and 19250 • Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the Pfizer vaccine for children 12 and up, with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) advising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 12-15 should be prioritised for vaccination251 • People aged in their 20s have consistently made up a high proportion of COVID-19 cases in Australia and overseas, with 20 to 29-year-olds accounting for the highest number (around 22% of total infections252 • At 50% vaccination rates, the direct economic cost of minimising cases is estimated to be around $570m per week. At 60%, the estimated cost remains high, but falls to around $430m per week253
Links and resources • Research articles – o Enhancing public trust in COVID-19 vaccination: The role of governments o COVID-19 vaccine: vaccinate the young to protect the old? o Should Australia vaccinate children against COVID-19? o Intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 in Australia o Modelling of COVID-19 vaccination strategies and herd immunity, in scenarios of limited and full vaccine supply in NSW, Australia o COVID-19: Beliefs in misinformation in the Australian community o Support for a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the face of safety concerns and political affiliations: An Australian study o Mass infection is not an option: we must do more to protect our young • News articles – o Schools are Australia's new COVID battleground. How risky are they really? o What's gone wrong with Australia's vaccine rollout? o Australian attitudes on the COVID-19 vaccine differ on political lines — but the vast majority are still keen for the jab o Covid Australia vaccine rollout tracker: total number of people and per cent vaccinated, daily vaccine doses and rate of progress o Should Australia's COVID-19 vaccination efforts be turning to children? o Younger adults can get very sick and die from COVID too. Here’s what the data tell us o Young people explain why they are seeking out COVID-19 jabs o Teens should have a say in whether they get a COVID vaccine o Australia was a pandemic hero. Mixed messages and rising cases are muddying the picture
25 Every child survives Participating and thrives
A focus on … a coordinated approach towards a COVID-19 vaccination system for young people Many months after Australians first began getting coronavirus vaccines, incremental changes are enabling more young people to access the jabs as the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts Delta will become the dominant variant globally. Emerging research across the world highlights the alarming trend of Delta to affect a younger cohort, with the number of children and adolescents becoming infected and schools trending as the new COVID battleground254,255,256. Recent reports from countries such as Indonesia, Singapore, Israel and the UK also suggest a spike in the number of school children exposed to the more transmissible Delta variant257. With this, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) also approved the Pfizer vaccine for 12 to 15- year-olds258, along with some experts calling for vaccination of children and adolescents to be a high priority259. Given the rapidly evolving developments in the COVID-19 landscape among children and young people as well as other vulnerable groups such as people living with disability and First Nations Australians, there is now an additional sense of urgency and pressure surrounding Australia’s COVID vaccine rollout. Recent data shows a growing frustration among adolescents and young people at the lack of transparency and mixed messaging around the vaccine rollout260,261. The frequent narrative that blames low rates of vaccination (with Australia ranking last among OECD countries262) on vaccine hesitancy causes frustration among those who would take the jab if only it were available. For example, a July news article by the New Daily reveals the restlessness among young Sydney residents over their inability to easily access jabs and vague timelines on when they can expect them, as they explore using “secret” websites to source Pfizer vaccines263. Vaccine promotion campaigns have been criticised as unclear and ineffective, for example the recent advertisement featuring graphic depiction of a young woman suffering from COVID. Critics and young people across Australia argue that the advertisement unreasonably targets young people, considering under 40s were only able to access the vaccines at the end of the year, with official advice recommending that adolescents and young people wait for Pfizer jab instead of the available AstraZeneca jab due to the adverse health complications associated with AstraZeneca up until recent developments264,265. A separate issue is the conflict between vaccinating as many Australians as possible, and contributing to vaccine equity around the globe. Alongside the moral imperative for Australia to be a responsible global citizen, the likelihood is that the COVID-19 virus will continue to mutate into more dangerous variants such as Delta. High global rates of vaccination are the best defence against this possibility266. While the advancement of COVID-19 vaccines has been an extraordinary success, vaccinating most global population is still an enormous and existing challenge. A recent report by OECD on the policy responses to COVID-19 notes that the ability of governments to communicate and successfully deliver a vaccination programme is critically dependent on267: • the extent to which the government can instil and maintain public confidence in the effectiveness and safety of the vaccines • the competence and reliability of the institutions that deliver them
26 Every child survives Participating and thrives
• the principles and processes that guide government decisions and actions in vaccine procurement, distribution, prioritisation, and administration • the capacity and effectiveness of regulatory agencies in handling issues and communicating consistently as events arise, while retaining public confidence in their review processes • the effectiveness of the public engagement and communications that accompany these. One study by the University of Oxford and University of Melbourne concludes that the end point of this pandemic will not be when there is a vaccine but when there is an adequate vaccination policy in place to get out to people in the most effective way – which then poses the need for children and young people being included in vaccination policy, both for their own sake and as a means of protecting the community overall268. It is clear that having a structured vaccination policy and strategy to reach children and young people is an effective measure moving forward.
What can we do to help? It is crucial that governments and advisory bodies provide clear and targeted information regarding the vaccination to increase people’s trust in the processes and outcomes of public policies269. The recent Doherty modelling, which is currently being updated to reflect the changing situation, presents scenarios under a managed transmission strategy which shows the trajectory of a coordinated vaccination strategy270: • Continuing to minimise the number of COVID-19 cases, by taking early and strong action in response to outbreaks of the Delta variant, is consistently more cost effective than allowing higher levels of community transmission, which ultimately requires longer and more costly lockdowns • As vaccination rates rise, fewer lockdowns and other restrictions will be required to continue to minimise cases of COVID-19, reducing the economic cost of managing the virus A report produced by the OECD suggests that consulting and engaging citizens and local communities will help to develop a vaccination strategy best adapted to the local context, thus overcoming some of the logistical and communication challenges and increasing its likelihood of success. Canada’s COVID-19 immunisation plan is a comparative example, featuring collaboration between the Federal Government; the provinces; the territories; First Nations, Inuit and Métis leaders; and municipal governments, among others271. The United Kingdom’s COVID-19 vaccine delivery plan takes a local, community-led approach, with partnerships between national government, local authorities, national health system, local directors of public health, local health and well-being boards, voluntary, and community and faith sectors272.
What does the future hold? The development of several effective COVID-19 vaccines in less than a year is a notable achievement of international cooperation and the ability of governments to accelerate scientific R&D efforts to tackle a global health pandemic.
27 Every child survives Participating and thrives
However, across the world, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected disadvantaged communities, revealing a lack of societal resilience that goes much deeper. As policy makers address the lack of resilience to health threats that COVID-19 has exposed, they will need to acknowledge that social conditions must guide COVID-19/future pandemic measures and policies273,274. Furthermore, a robust mechanism is needed to further understand the effectiveness of different approaches from restrictions on social interaction to more targeted measures like local lockdowns and surge testing as a means to preparedness.
Other risks and areas of expected impact
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28
Positive Sense of Every child has a Identity and Culture fair chance in life
This wellbeing domain represents children having a positive sense of identity and culture. This can occur in a number of ways, such as a sense of belonging with friends and family, feeling included in the community and society, and having a connection to one’s cultural group.
Australian data sources There is very little Australian data available on the impact of COVID-19 on having a positive sense of identity and culture. Available data sources that capture some aspects of having a positive sense of identity and culture include: • 2021 Intergenerational Report275 • As if we weren’t humans: The abandonment of temporary migrants in Australia during COVID-19276 • ABS General Social Survey277 • ACMA consumer survey 2020: Snapshot—Trends in viewing and listening behaviour278 • AIFS Life during COVID-19 Survey279 • AIHW Australia’s Youth report – COVID-19 and the impact on young people (secondary data source but provides a comprehensive analysis and collation of data and information)280 • Australian Red Cross report: COVID-19 impacts us all: Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of people on temporary visas during COVID-19281 • Burnet Institute/VicHealth Coping with COVID-19 study282 • COVID-19 and Young People from Refugee and Migrant Backgrounds Policy Platform283 • COVID-19 Audience Outlook Monitor 2021 Report284 • Creating our Future: Results of the National Arts Participation Survey 2020285 • Digital culture strategy 2021-24286 • Digital news report: Australia 2021287 • Good Shepherd COVID-19 Vulnerable Australians Survey288 • Hidden cost: Young multicultural Victorians and COVID-19289 • Homelessness and Hunger among People Seeking Asylum during COVID-19290 • In Real Life: Mapping Digital Cultural Engagement in the first Decades of the 21st Century291 • Make Healing Happen Report 2021292 • Mission Australia Youth Survey293 • Mothers’ and young people’s study294 • MYAN Achievements Report 2020295 • Protocol for Producing Indigenous Australian Visual Arts Report296 • Reflections on COVID-19: In their own words, South Australian young people reflect on the impact of the coronavirus on their world and futures297 • Relationships Australia May 2020 Survey298 • SNAICC COVID-19 Ongoing Impacts Survey report299 • The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey300 • NSW Carer Support Needs: Coping in the context of COVID-19301 • Working with Aboriginal People and Communities302 • Profile of Children and Young People in Australia303
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Positive Sense of Every child has a Identity and Culture fair chance in life
Headline indicators • Indigenous Covid vaccination rates have risen rapidly in the past month, but new data shows the gap is widening between First Nations people and overall vaccination rates in every state and territory except Victoria. The gap between Indigenous rates and the overall state rate ranges between 10 percentage points in the ACT to 16.7 percentage points in New South Wales and South Australia304 • In far western NSW, which has a very high Indigenous population but which has had its Pfizer doses redirected to south-west Sydney, the overall vaccination rate is 13.4%305 • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children make up 40% of western NSW Covid cases306 • Very few Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with Covid have been vaccinated, noting that the health advice about offering vaccines to Aboriginal children from 12 years of age has been very recent307 • Children aged 12 to 15 with severe asthma and epilepsy, among other conditions, as well as Indigenous children are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine as phase 1b of the vaccine rollout, with 220,000 children now able to receive the Pfizer vaccine308. Eligibility was further extended on 25 August to all NDIS participants aged 12-15 years. However, anecdotal evidence suggests sourcing access to the vaccine remains problematic for many309
Links and resources • Research articles – o Australia's First Nations' response to the COVID-19 pandemic o COVID-19 vaccination coverage and hesitancy among groups prioritised in Australia’s vaccine rollout o Pandemic fatigue? How adherence to covid-19 regulations has been misrepresented and why it matters o Why collect individual-level vaccination data? o Modelling of COVID-19 vaccination strategies and herd immunity, in scenarios of limited and full vaccine supply in NSW, Australia o Preparing the public for COVID-19 vaccines: How can general practitioners build vaccine confidence and optimise uptake for themselves and their patients? o Converting the maybes: Crucial for a successful COVID-19 vaccination strategy • News articles – o Indigenous children and those with underlying conditions aged 12 to 15 now eligible for Pfizer COVID vaccine o The COVID-19 crisis in western NSW Aboriginal communities is a nightmare realised o ADF vaccination teams sent to western NSW to stem Covid outbreak in Indigenous communities o Aboriginal children make up 40% of western NSW Covid cases o First Nations vaccination rate slowing o Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca vaccines and the 'impossibility' of COVID herd immunity as Delta changes the score
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Positive Sense of Every child has a Identity and Culture fair chance in life
o COVID-19 'health disaster' looms in First Nations communities, Labor warns, calling for vaccination data o Aboriginal health groups fear ‘big gaps’ in vaccine coverage are being hidden by lack of data o Is there enough public data on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy? o How caring for children can help Aboriginal Elders during lockdown o COVID-19 vaccine rollout for Indigenous Australians has had some success but many challenges remain o Why some Aboriginal people are too scared to get vaccinated o Scramble to lift Indigenous vaccination rates as Covid spreads in western NSW
A focus on … vaccination for young Indigenous Australians In Australia, the Commonwealth government has been responsible for the procurement and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and the policy settings, although there have been some variations between states and territories in the rollout to different groups. However, vaccine supply remains a concern across the country. Infectious disease experts say Australia's COVID experience will become a "pandemic of the unvaccinated", as the Delta strain's high infection rate — even among vaccinated people — turns achieving herd immunity into an "impossibility" 310,311,312. This issue has become urgent in New South Wales, where a third of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live313, and where case numbers are growing. As the highly contagious Delta variant spreads in Australia, the task of ensuring all Australians are vaccinated becomes even more urgent. The recent and rapidly escalating COVID-19 situation in western NSW, with a growing COVID-19 cluster in Dubbo and cases in Parkes, Wellington, Gilgandra and Narromine, reveals the vulnerability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have high rates of underlying health vulnerabilities, many linked to the impacts of colonisation. Guardian Australia has reported that the vast majority of Covid cases in the region are among Aboriginal people, and 40% are in largely unvaccinated Aboriginal children aged between 10 and 19 years old314. It was reported that fewer than 20% of the Aboriginal population aged 16 and over in western NSW has received one dose of any vaccine, and only 8% were fully vaccinated. This is significantly lower than the overall rate for the region, where 36.9% of all people have had at least one dose and 16.3% of all people are fully vaccinated315. Indigenous people have been a priority group for vaccinations, and this has recently extended to include children and young people. However, supply remains an issue. Writing for The Conversation, Euahlayi man Bhiamie Williamson of the Australian National University notes that Aboriginal people make up 25% of the general population in the nine areas of most concern in western NSW. Of this population, 26.5% are under the age of 11, meaning they are currently unable to be vaccinated. A further 62.4% are aged 12–59, the age group for which Pfizer is ATAGI’s preferred vaccine. He says, “Until adequate supplies of Pfizer are provided, our community is unlikely to be protected against the virus.”316
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Positive Sense of Every child has a Identity and Culture fair chance in life
The media has reported on vaccine hesitancy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities317, especially among young people. However there is emerging evidence that hesitancy is decreasing, and best rates of vaccination are achieved where health services are delivered by trusted, culturally competent and preferably community controlled Aboriginal health organisations. Some Aboriginal-controlled community clinics are achieving exceptionally high vaccination rates. In July, the Mala’la clinic in Maningrida, about 520 kilometres east of Darwin, set a Northern Territory record for the highest number of vaccinations in a day, administering the jab to 453 people318. Their success was credited to local trusted elders and traditional owners reaching out to residents in traditional languages, consistent messaging about protecting families, elders and culture, and leading by example. The local Mala'la Health Service's chairman, Charlie Gunabarra was the first to get vaccinated on the day, and had also been out and about in the town spreading the word. "On Friday after work I had to show up at eight card games — [there are] so many people at these card games — to give them the message, tell them the story [of what will happen] if it does hit the community of Maningrida. We've got so many different language groups here [so the message was] we're going to lose that language and lose our elders."
Chair of Mala'la Health Service, Charlie Gunabarra
Mala'la Health Service's experience demonstrates the importance of Aboriginal-led public health messaging that is targeted and credible. For example, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) along with its four founding Community Controlled Health Services has launched the I Stepped Up campaign and website encouraging vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged 12 and over319. The campaign features informative videos, answers to frequently asked questions and a slew of other resources. “It is crucial to provide our community with the information and resources they need to feel comfortable about coming out to get vaccinated. Everyone has a different motivation for getting the COVID-19 vaccine, whether to protect their community, to keep family members safe or to make plans for the future, so we want to highlight the different reasons to resonate with more of our mob,”
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health CEO, Adrian Carson
Additionally, better reporting of vaccination data would assist in targeting efforts and identifying potential gaps. The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (Naccho) says detailed data is essential to the successful rollout to vulnerable remote and suburban communities320. “Priority reform number four of the closing the gap agreement is about data for health services planning … Unless we’re paying attention to those small levels of geography and those individual communities, we might find islands of poor vaccination coverage that leave those communities vulnerable.”
Naccho senior medical adviser, GP and epidemiologist Dr Jason Agostino
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Positive Sense of Every child has a Identity and Culture fair chance in life
What can we do to help? Although Indigenous organisations have long identified the need to deliver culturally appropriate public health messaging, it still poses a significant gap321. While the NSW government’s efforts to consolidate essential COVID-19 information for Aboriginal communities play a critical role and should be acknowledged, it’s also important to recognise that website formulation is a bare minimum of effective communication. An example of proactive government measures to ensure accurate information to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is demonstrated by the Western Australian government322. Responding to the fact that Aboriginal children and young people aged under 18 years make up 39.6% of the total WA Aboriginal population, the WA government published a targeted COVID-19 vaccination myth-buster factsheet for Indigenous communities that addressed a wide range of frequently asked questions from vaccine safety to practical information on vaccine accessibility323. While there is meticulous data each day from states and territories on case numbers, we have no big- picture analysis of where vaccines are going, despite the collection of information on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander vaccination by all jurisdictions.
What does the future hold? Pandemic-induced lockdowns have provided stories of both hardship and resilience. However, these findings demonstrate the urgent need for governments to enable easy access to vaccination for people in priority groups through accessible vaccination hubs and targeted credible communication from trusted sources. Further research is needed regarding the attitudes, beliefs, and potential mind- changing factors for those who remain undecided about accepting a COVID-19 vaccine. Greater support and resourcing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations to communicate vaccine information, and for Aboriginal-controlled community health organisation to lead vaccination efforts in Aboriginal communities, are the most effective ways to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not further disadvantaged by pre-existing health vulnerabilities that leave them open to the worst of COVID-19.
Other risks and areas of expected impact
Return to the Introduction
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