Uncle Reg Williams is an Aboriginal Elder living in the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) of Queensland. 

The born and bred NPA man made the choice to get the COVID-19 jab after seeing the chaos the virus had caused in China at the beginning of the pandemic in 2019. 

“Well, back in 2019, I was watching COVID when it broke out in China,” Uncle Reg said. 

“I was onto it all the time. I saw the fight that people went through,” he said.  

“You know, people said it was worse than the flu or maybe similar.  

“But you know, I think to me it was worse than the flu and people were just dying like flies. 

“It was that serious over there, they started locking people in, welding the doors on the house.  

“So once people do that, that is serious. So people need to get vaccinated. 

“I felt that so that’s why I went and got mine.” 

Uncle Reg said his experience of getting the jab at the clinic in Bamaga was far less of an ordeal than getting most needles. 

“There was no problem, just an ordinary needle like every day. Smaller than all the others,” he said. 

“You have to stick around just in case you get some reaction from the needle or side effects or something. Maybe you’re allergic to something.  

“Then you have to stick around for 15 minutes. They give you a cup of tea while you wait, give you water. They look after you.  

“Then after that they’ll tell you that you’re free to go.” 

He said it was important for Indigenous communities to get protected from COVID-19 because it will rip through communities, causing untold devastation. 

“Because of the chronic diseases that the indigenous people of Australia have. And we all know that out in the communities, we’ve got high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood sugar issues.”  

“This COVID is gonna put us down real quick.  

“We’re already wounded so to speak, walking around in the community. We’re already wounded.  

“How many tablets we take a day to fix these diseases?  

“And this blokes gonna come along under the name of COVID. Hes gonna wipe you out, wipe us out.  

“I made this decision myself to go and get the needle. I wasn’t forced but I’m urging people to go because you know, it’s gonna wipe us out.” 

If you would like more information, or to book an appointment contact Torres Health.