Aunty Helen Felstead is a Yugambeh Elder and Chair of the Board of Directors at North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health.

Aunty Helen made the choice to get vaccinated against COVID-19 so she can go visit her grandchildren interstate.

The fully vaccinated Elder has been vocal on mob getting the jab to protect themselves and their community.

“Everybody just needs to get vaccinated,” Aunty Helen said.

“My parents actually got vaccinated.

“They’re in their 80s and they got vaccinated before I got vaccinated.

“Their clinic actually started the rollout before my clinic did.”

Aunty Helen also reported the vaccination process was easy and virtually painless.

“It’s been wonderful and I had no side effects whatsoever,” she said.

“I went out to lunch with a group of friends and they were saying, ‘oh but I had a side effect of this and that.’

“I looked at my husband and he looked at me and we’re going, ‘what the heck?’

“We had no effects at all.

“My parents had no effects.”

Aunty Helen has a simple message to mob not sure about getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

“You need to do it.”

“You want to travel?

“You want to see family?

“You want to see your grandkids, especially if you want to see your grand-babies?

“You don’t want to be sick; you don’t want to pass it on.

“You know if you get it, you could be really sick or you could die.

“You don’t want that.

“You don’t want to pass it around.

“It’s a terrible disease.

“You need to stay healthy.”

If you would like more information contact North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health.