There's a call for South Auckland vaccinations to begin this month.
The government has committed to putting the area first when community vaccinations begin later this year.
Otago University academic and GP Ben Gray says it should be sooner, right after the households of border workers, which begin this week.
He says because New Zealand has an elimination strategy, it can do its vaccinations in a different way to other countries which focus on rest home residents after frontline health workers.
Dr Gray told health correspondent Rowan Quinn the safest thing for vulnerable people is to keep the virus out in the first place.
