October 20 2021
The number of new Covid-19 cases dropped to 60 today but Dr Ashley Bloomfield warns that infections are likely to keep rising. Fifty-six of the new cases are in Auckland and four are in Waikato.
Prevailing unease among Bay of Plenty area Māori about Covid-19 jabs is reflected in the latest data, with the area recording the lowest rate in the country for fully vaccinated Māori.
In the Bay of Plenty District Health Board area, 37 per cent of Māori were fully vaccinated following Super Saturday. Some 59 per cent had received at least one dose.
The neighbouring Lakes DHB had the country's third-lowest full vaccination rate with 39 per cent, while 59 per cent had at least the first jab.
Tauranga Moana iwi representative Buddy Mikaere highlights "access, uncertainty and misinformation" as hurdles that restrict vaccination rates, while Murupara kaumātua Pem Bird says he and other local Māori don't want the Pfizer vaccine and are waiting for others which they think will be more effective.
It was revealed midweek that vaccine coverage for young Māori was lowest in the Whakatāne, Kawerau, Ruapehu and Ōpōtiki districts, and highest in Wellington City, Selwyn District, Dunedin and Queenstown Lakes District.
Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand-Ohu Kaupare Huaketo and Malaghan Institute director Professor Graham Le Gros said waiting to get vaccinated was not worth the risk.
"You've got to get it now before the virus gets you."
Le Gros said there could be a need for booster shots in the future but it was important to get the process of immunisation started.
"At the moment there is no real difference between the vaccines that are available. They are all safe and they all work well," he said.
"The risk right now for anyone in the community of facing the virus without any vaccination is very high."
The Ministry of Health says evidence shows two doses of the Pfizer vaccine is "highly effective" against Delta and the few vaccinated people who do get the Delta variant tend to have a milder illness, with fewer symptoms.
Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand-Ohu Kaupare Huaketo and Malaghan Institute director Professor Graham Le Gros. Photo / NZME
Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare issued a warning to the Māori people earlier this week, saying: "Covid-19 is on the doorstep of your houses."
Asked about the low vaccination rates for Māori in the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, Henare said there will always be regions where uptake is lower than others.
"There are various reasons for this including the fact that there are some hard-to-reach pockets of Aotearoa," Henare told the Bay of Plenty Times.
"It's always difficult to see a region that has lower uptake rates than we would like."
Henare acknowledged there was a range of opinions on the vaccine, including those held by kaumātua Pem Bird.
Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare (left) said Covid-19 is on the doorstep. Photo / NZME
Henare said his focus was to build on the work led by Māori providers.
"Local iwi providers are doing some fantastic work leading the vaccination programme, supported by their DHB. This is what our whānau-centred approach is all about, with vaccinations being designed, led and delivered by Māori for Māori in the community."
Henare said the way communities turned out on Super Saturday gave him hope, citing the Bay's Kawerau District as the territorial authority with the biggest daily percentage increase for first doses given on the day.
"We have a way to go to raise the vaccine uptake rate, but with our collective will, and by continuing our whānau-centred approach, we can do this."
Buddy Mikaere is a historian, environmentalist, resource consents consultant and Tauranga Moana iwi representative. Photo / NZME
Mikaere, a Ngāi Tamarāwaho representative, said the Bay of Plenty's 37 per cent vaccination rate was not the result he expected.
"I know the greater part of our hapu has had their vaccinations."
Mikaere said he had experienced the effectiveness of by Māori, for Māori vaccination initiatives.
"I had my second vaccination a while ago. What was encouraging for me was the people manning the reception desk were Māori people. It's great having someone familiar to look after you."
Mikaere said access, uncertainty and misinformation were hurdles that faced Māori vaccination efforts.
"Because the push is coming from the Government there may be a little bit of uncertainty about their motives.
"People are reading conspiracy crap on Facebook. I totally disagree with all that rubbish."
Mikaere said getting vaccination numbers up was a matter of "keeping on" and he was sure there would be an increase in the vaccination rate leading up to Christmas.
"I sense a shift in opinion from some of my own family members. Eventually, the vaccinated will outnumber the unvaccinated."
Bay of Plenty District Health Board operations manager Covid programme Brent Gilbert-De Rios said more mahi has to be done to ensure whānau feel comfortable and trust in the Covid-19 vaccine.
"Misinformation about the vaccine puts our community at risk. We encourage people to use credible sources when searching for information about the vaccine."
Gilbert-De Rios said the District Health Board was committed to making vaccination easy and accessible.
"We'll continue to build on the collaboration and mahi tahi of Super Saturday.
"We're working with community centres, marae, Māori and iwi hauora providers, pharmacies, GPs and shopping malls to provide the vaccine in as many places and as many ways as possible."
