Joanne Tucker took the brave step to get vaccinated against COVID-19 because she loves her grandson more than she feared the jab. 

Joanne is a Sexual Health Project Officer at Cherbourg Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services in Cherbourg. She is a recent arrival in the region, having been in the Newcastle region of NSW up until a month ago.  

Joanne said she was initially reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 because she didn’t think she needed it. 

“I did not want to get vaccinated against COVID at all,” Ms Tucker said. 

“I really did not want to do it. My doctor tried to persuade me and I wouldn’t do it.” 

In the end, it was the words of her daughter and her love for her grandson that saw her take the steps to be vaccinated. 

“My daughter pointed out to me that even if I didn’t get COVID, I could still carry it and pass it on to my grandson who was too young to be immunised,” she said. 

“He had no real protection against it. So I, as his grandma, it’s up to me to help protect him.  

“Now, that was a low trick! But it worked.  

“That was what made me decide to get vaccinated, because I could see the logic in it.  

“He’s vulnerable, and if all it took to protect him is a couple of needles – fine, I did it.” 

When Joanne took the leap into getting the jab, she found it was a mostly painful process.  

“That first needle, I was fine through that day,” she said. 

“But at night I got a bit sick, a bit feverish.  

“I took a couple of Panadol, went to bed, slept it off, and I was fine the next day.  

“The second needle… Nothing at all. No side effects at all.” 

Joanne’s recent experience with the COVID-19 pandemic in NSW shows how the situation could rapidly deteriorate into restricted freedoms and freedom of movement if the COVID-19 virus runs rampant in our communities without widespread immunisation. 

“Honestly, get vaccinated before it hits here,” she said. 

“Because in NSW we’ve spent the best part of 18 months either restricted or locked down. 

“It meant my kids couldn’t come to see me, I couldn’t go and see friends. We couldn’t go out, and we were under curfew.” 

“I love being solitary but in the end, it was too much even for me.” 

If you would like more information, or to book an appointment, contact Cherbourg Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services.