Taranaki Māori continue to lag in vaccination stats

5:20 pm on 18 October 2021

Vaccination rates for Taranaki Māori continue to be slow, with just 62 percent having received a first dose and only 38 percent fully innoculated.

Taranaki Covid-19 vaccination programme senior responsible officer Bevan Clayton-Smith

Taranaki vaccination programme leader Bevan Clayton-Smith said it was wonderful to see Taranaki people stepping up to be vaccinated over the weekend. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin

By comparison 80 percent of the eligible population in Taranaki have now had a first dose and 57 percent are fully vaccinated.

When vaccination bookings are factored in those figures rise to 82 percent and 75 percent respectively.

The national rate for first dose vaccinations is 85 percent and 65 percent of people across the country are now fully vaccinated.

Vaccination programme leader Bevan Clayton-Smith said reaching the 80 percent mark for the general population was a significant milestone.

"These numbers are indicative of the hard mahi being done by vaccination teams across the programme, and the response of the Taranaki community to the urgent need to increase vaccination rates with Covid-19 breathing down our necks."

Clayton-Smith said the region needed to maintain momentum and was now focussed on the goal of exceeding 90 percent-vaccinated by the end of the year.

"A key element of that focus will be working with our Māori health providers to continue to improve vaccination rates in Māori communities across the district."

South Taranaki District is leading the charge when it comes to Māori vaccination rates in Taranaki, with 60 percent of first doses administered and 39 percent of second doses. New Plymouth District sits at 59 percent for the first dose and 43 percent for the second and Stratford District's figures are 58 percent and 36 percent respectively.

Vaccination rates for Māori experienced the second-largest increase in the country last week, up 7.6 percent with more than 1200 first doses administered, helping to break the 60 percent first-dose milestone.

On Super Saturday 2894 people from across Taranaki got jabs, 21 percent of them Māori.

"The entire Taranaki Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, which includes all our Taranaki DHB teams, on-boarded GP clinics and pharmacies and Māori partner-providers, pulled out all the stops to get out there and make getting a vaccination easier than ever before," Clayton-Smith said.

"It was wonderful to see Taranaki people stepping up to be vaccinated, coming to have their questions and concerns answered and generally joining in the party atmosphere. Ka pai!"