Four months later, it's starting to see the results of the targeted community engagement, with steadily rising vaccination rates and public uptake in health advice.
Thirty five per cent of Rumbalara's over-50s population and patients of its health service have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Of Rumbalara's over-50s population, 19 per cent are now fully vaccinated.
Rumbalara executive manager of health and wellbeing Shannon Drake said the organisation's emergency pandemic plan had been crucial in responding to "confusing" messaging from the government on the vaccination rollout.
To date, just under eight per cent of the national population is fully vaccinated, with supply issues and changing health advice on the AstraZeneca vaccine seeing Australia's vaccination rates lag behind most developed nations.
While all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over 16 are currently eligible for a vaccine, Ms Drake said combatting vaccine hesitancy had been a big test for Indigenous organisations.
“We've been implementing our plan since the early stages of the vaccine response, with key information ensuring the community has information to unpack the government's messaging,” Ms Drake said.
“A lot of our social media responses have also included video - updates on lockdowns, what the community needs to do, the importance of testing and wearing a mask.”
Ms Drake said confusion over COVID-19 restrictions and health advice had been a big problem in Greater Shepparton.
But being able to access direct information from an organisation the community knew and trusted had received a "wonderful" response.
“We rolled out demonstrations on how to wear a mask, the importance of washing hands and coughing into the elbow,” Ms Drake said.
“Early in the piece we straight away did point-of-care testing - so the community could come to us to get a swab and have their results within the hour.
“The community really engaged with that response - they knew they could come to Rumbalara in busy times and have their result by the end of the day.”
From late March, Rumbalara began rolling out the AstraZeneca vaccine to eligible patients, and from mid-July it will receive doses of Pfizer to administer to over 16-year-olds.
Ms Drake said overcoming misinformation had been a significant problem in the initial stages, with many First Nations community members unsure whether they were willing to receive the jab.
“Early in the piece, we called in over-50s to say we've got the vaccine, did an explanation, and booked them in to see the doctor so they could have informed consent,” she said.
“Then we ran one-on-one sessions with doctors if there was vaccine hesitancy, and coordinated community education sessions so a group could ask questions about their health needs.
“After one-on-one consultations, many people said ‘yes, I'm ready to have it'. We've been able to unpack concerns really clearly for the community and deliver information with cultural understanding.”
Ms Drake said Federal Government messaging recommending against administering the AstraZeneca to under-60s, then under-50s, had "confused" Greater Shepparton residents at a key point in the rollout.
“With all the announcements, people haven't known what's going on,” she said.
“We've been able to simplify it, to take the time to ensure people understand health messages and what that means to them as individuals, as a community.
“We need messages to be clear and direct around the Aboriginal population, so they can truly have that informed consent and with any concerns they have, we can dispel the myths.
“And the engagement has been quite fantastic. With NAIDOC Week, Healing Country also means holistically helping our health and spiritual wellbeing . . . we take pride in that and lead in that space, to meet those needs for our community.”
