Ninety percent of eligible New Zealanders are now fully vaccinated, with the official count through overnight, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins says.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
The milestone means nearly 3,800,000 people have rolled up their sleeves for two Pfizer doses.
It comes hot on the heels of the three DHBs in Auckland's metropolitan area reaching the target.
Seven of the country's 20 DHBs have now reached 90 percent double-vaccination, and a handful of others are on track to reach the target in the next few days.
Ninety-four percent of the eligible population nationwide have had their first dose.
Auckland's Counties Manukau District Health Board hit the vaccination target of having 90 percent of its eligible population fully vaccinated yesterday.
That means all three DHBs in the Auckland region have hit the vaccination target. By yesterday Auckland DHB was sitting on 95 percent and Waitemata DHB was on 92 percent.
Counties Manukau has the second biggest eligible Māori population for a DHB and the biggest eligible Pacific population in the country.
Epidemilogist Rod Jackson said it was fantastic to see the country get to 90 percent vaccinated - but the trick now is to get to pockets where rates are lower.
Seeing lower Māori rates climb now their own communities were involved in the roll-out is a good sign, he said.
Booster shots were also key, particulary because early evidence showed it they were effective against the Omicron variant, Jackson said.
