Only one prisoner in Roebourne prison has received a COVID-19 vaccine booster, according to figures tabled in state parliament this week.
As of February 22, 59 per cent of the 184 prisoners in Roebourne had received two doses of a vaccine and 10 per cent one dose.
The figures mirror a statewide trend — 65 per cent of prisoners across Western Australia are double or triple-dose vaccinated against the virus.
Roebourne Regional Prison is based about 45 kilometres from Karratha and most of the inmates are Aboriginal.
Eight new COVID cases were reported in the Pilbara today and the next vaccination clinic at Roebourne is still more than two weeks away.
Yamatji-Noongar woman and WA Greens senator Dorinda Cox said the prospect of the outbreak spreading to the jail was "troubling" because it would wreak havoc on the vulnerable people inside.
"Should COVID get into custodial settings like prisons, it will spread like wildfire," she said.
"Aboriginal people do have comorbidities, issues and diseases that mean they're more likely to be autoimmune compromised.
Ms Cox said the low vaccine uptake in Roebourne could be blamed on a combination of vaccine hesitancy and a lack of supply allocated to the inmates.
She felt hesitancy was fuelled by Aboriginal health services not receiving enough resources to issue culturally appropriate advice throughout the vaccine rollout.
"They are not being provided sufficient funding to run their own health promotion programs that are localised in language, that talk from an elder's perspective," she said.
Next clinic in March
A Department of Justice spokesperson said prisoners could approach the facility's health staff at any time to register their interest in getting vaccinated.
The spokesperson said three vaccination clinics were held at the prison last year and the next was scheduled for March 14.
The department confirmed it had been working to address vaccine hesitancy in the prison population, but claimed the vaccination rate was as high as 82 per cent (at least one dose), before the figure fell as vaccinated prisoners were released.
"Vaccination is voluntary for prisoners, who are not included in the government's vaccination mandates," the spokesperson said.
