Professor Alex Haslam from UQ's School of Psychology featured in an ABC article discussing why some people feel a lack of urgency to get vaccinated.
Professor Haslam said some Queenslanders might not be prioritising getting the jab at the moment because the state was not suffering from a large outbreak.
"I think you need a reason to do anything, whatever it is. To go to the shops, you need a reason," Professor Haslam said.
"Up until now, the sort of urgency of getting a vaccine hasn't been there for everybody."
States like Victoria and New South Wales saw their vaccine uptake rise when they experienced outbreaks.
Professor Haslam said Queensland's track record of successfully containing previous outbreaks could be playing a role in people's lack of urgency in getting vaccinated.
"It's a bit like you're just watching the radar, not much is happening, and you've maybe had a couple of tests, and nothing happened there," he said.
"There is that sense where you can just become a bit complacent."
He said Queenslanders had done the right thing so far, but he warned: "This is not the time to pat ourselves on the back and say job done."
"If we just fall into casual ways or careless ways, there will be a price to pay and no-one in our community should be paying that price," he said.
