Vaccinations and messaging: ‘It’s all in the brochure’
As the surge of COVID-19 in Australia continues, onshore international students are struggling with information about vaccination eligibility and processes.
The Lygon Group’s social media listening service reveals that international students report receiving conflicting messaging about their eligibility. Some are reporting being told they need to pay high fees for a GP consultation prior to booking an appointment. Or that they’ll be charged for the jab. Some students are reporting being turned away from GPs, and some say they can’t navigate the booking process at state/territory vaccination hubs without a Medicare card.
For readers who can influence the booking processes for vaccinations, it’s beyond time to ensure that all staff at vax centres, GP’s, or pharmacies know and understand that international students will present with their OSHC membership card, and that the vaccine is provided free of charge.
At the moment, onshore students are trying their best to get vaccinated, and many are anxious about navigating the process and feeling afraid as case numbers rise.
In the last year international students have been excluded from Federal government support and assistance and many have needed to rely on NGOs and community-based charities for food hampers and support. Now these same students are in the position of being addressed in public health messaging together with groups of people we define as “vulnerable and disadvantaged” in our community such as refugees and rough sleepers.
We need clear information targeted specifically for international students about vaccinations. Their families want to see this too - they want their loved ones to be safe. This is part of what they feel they are purchasing when they make the commitment to send their family member abroad to study.
When we are thinking about how Australia is being seen by international students and their families at the moment, everything is in the brochure. Everything. Right now international students are discussing their experiences as a student in Australia on social media both here and in their home countries. They are making recommendations based on their experiences of Australia’s public health system, their feelings of safety, and on their experience in the community at large.
As we’ve written here before, prospective international students and their families are also waiting for Australia to announce which vaccines will be approved for entry - when borders re-open.
Providing international students clear, accessible information about vaccinations is not only the right thing to do for students and for community health and safety. It is the right thing to do for the recovery and sustainability of the sector.
