As the state’s overall vaccination rate climbs,only a handful of council areas now have double-dose rates below 80 per cent.

According to figures released on Monday,85.5 per cent of residents in Byron Shire – known for its low childhood vaccination rates and large number of vaccine refusers – have received a first dose and 75 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Professor Alexandra Martiniuk,an epidemiologist at the University of Sydney,said 90 per cent was an “amazing” achievement given coverage was in the single digits before the state’s Delta wave. However,she said it was important for people to not confuse the milestone with “herd immunity” from the virus.

“People always said we would hit ‘herd immunity’ at 90 per cent or 95 per cent – but this is the 16-and-over population,so we are not there yet,” she stressed.

While NSW’s Indigenous vaccination rates are higher than other states,there is still agap between rates in these communities and the general population.

An outbreak in Moree in the state’s north-west is currentlymostly affecting unvaccinated Aboriginal people.

“We need uniform vaccination rates,and right now they’re not – regional rates are lower,and groups we have reasons for wanting to protect – like the Aboriginal population – are also lower,” Professor Martiniuk said,noting there were still groups left to be vaccinated in order for the state to hit 95 per cent.

Professor Emma McBryde,an infectious diseases physician and mathematician at James Cook University,said there would be a limited difference in the impact of a 90 per cent as opposed to a 95 per cent double-dose rate. She agreed neither would offer herd immunity and said the disease burden on NSW’s hospital system had already been significantly lessened.

The high rate of coverage has continued to reduce COVID-19 hospitalisations in the state. On Tuesday,there were 254 cases in hospital and 42 in intensive care.

An analysis of the vaccination status of virus cases conducted by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance released this week showedpeople who were not vaccinated were 16 times more likely to require intensive care treatment.

This month,four unvaccinated people aged under 60 have died from the virus,including a man in his 50s from south-west Sydney whose death was announced on Tuesday.

with Pallavi Singhal