State and Territory health officials are leading a renewed push to boost the vaccination uptake in First Nations communities, with rates currently well below the broader population.
While more than 80 per cent of the population over 16 is fully vaccinated, that figure is just 54.5 per cent among Indigenous Australians.
Queensland has one of the lower First Nations immunisation rates. Officials and government members are heading to remote communities in Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands as part of a vaccination drive.
The state recorded two new cases of community transmission on Wednesday.
Cherbourg mayor Elvie Sandow, speaking alongside Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at a press conference, said she was concerned about the town's poor vaccine take-up.
"Religious reasons and social media doesn't help, so it's our job to make it happen," she said.
"We want our numbers coming up, we've just got to keep going."
NRL legend and now Deadly Choices ambassador Steve Renouf also spoke of the need to improve vaccination.
Cherbourg mayor Elvie Sandow wants to see vaccination rates increase in the town. Source: Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council
"It's our mob and we want to protect them," he said alongside Ms Sandow.
"We've got to realise COVID is coming and we need to be vaccinated."
National rollout commander Lieutenant General John Frewen told NITV's The Point he had received reports from Cherbourg that door-to-door vaccinations were proving successful, but that much work still remained to be done.
"There are still many communities that are not protected. And every single one of those communities is at risk of a very rapid Delta outbreak," he said.
"So that's why we're working really hard to try and convince those communities to get vaccinated.
"It's slow progress, but it's really good progress."
While the Indigenous vaccine rate in NSW, the ACT and Victoria is 80 per cent first dose and 70 per cent second, it's below 55 per cent in states such as Queensland, SA and WA.
Under 40-year-olds account for a majority of cases in communities.
Queensland health minister Yvette D'ath said the increase in Indigenous vaccine rates was necessary ahead of the state's border coming down, which is due to occur when an 80 per cent double dose target is achieved.
"The virus is coming, and we know when the border reopens, the virus will come into every single community," she said.
It comes as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners has warned of more positive cases among Indigenous people as movement across the country increases during the summer holiday period.
NRL legend and Deadly Choices Ambassador Steve Renouf wants Aboriginal communities to be protected from COVID-19. Source: AAP
"As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people already face considerable health inequalities and higher rates of chronic diseases, they are more at risk of severe illness and death from this virus," said the college's chair of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, Professor Peter O'Mara.
"The fact that there remains a serious gap in vaccine coverage between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous people in our country is a national shame."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted earlier this week more was needed to boost Indigenous vaccine rates, especially in WA and Queensland.
In just a three-month period, 7000 COVID cases were detected among the Indigenous population, which included 700 hospitalisations and 16 deaths.
Prof O'Mara has called for greater communication to Indigenous communities to boost immunisation rates.
"We need to know where the biggest gaps are in vaccine coverage and target these areas," he said.
"This requires working together with communities and leaders to tackle the scourge of health misinformation."
