Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took the vaccination drive to Northland today, an area lagging behind in vaccination rates.
But her media conference was derailed by a man claiming to be a journalist - making bogus claims about the vaccine.
Nearby a woman sang loudly but peacefully in protest - the pair were among a small group in Kawakawa, where Ngāti Hine Health Trust was vaccinating dozens of people.
Journalists relocated nearby with MP for Te Tai Tokerau Kelvin Davis clearly frustrated by the interruption
Davis said the protesters think they are smarter than the virus, and add to the vaccination challenge.
"I don't think it helps what we're trying to do here, to protect whānau, to protect whakapapa, and to have people think what's going on is not reality, I think they're just living in a strange world."
The Prime Minister emphasised that those spreading misinformation were a minority, but one with a loud voice.
"I absolutely believe that what you're seeing in New Zealand with the [vaccination] rates we have... that is far higher than what you're seeing in other countries."
But vaccine rates in Northland are among the lowest in the country - with four of the bottom 10 vaccinated suburbs in the country and just 65 percent of the population fully vaccinated. For Māori, only 48 percent are double-dosed.
The government today announced another $4.6 million to help iwi led initiatives.
Ngāti Hine Health Trust chief executive Geoff Milner is determined the rohe will reach its 90 percent before Christmas - and says he has no problem with how the government is managing resources now
"We're all wise in hindsight, so our job is to keep an eye on the endgame, to get our Māori population vaccinated to 90 percent... Our job is to focus on what we can influence."
But even if Northland does not reach the mark, he thinks double vaccinated and tested whānau should be able to come in and out of the region.
"With good protocols around vaccination status, around testing, I think Northland is well set up to look after its own communities."
Northland needs the largest number of first vaccines to reach its 90 percent target. But with more than 17,000 shots required, it could be a long road to Christmas in the north.
