October 15, 2021
Mana motuhake no match for raging virus
On the eve of the Super Saturday vax-a-thon, a leader to the Māori pandemic response group says the time for hesitation is over.
Papaarangi Reid says Māori are at a very dangerous time in the outbreak, especially in Auckland, with the majority of cases now among Māori and 40 percent being under age 19.
While some prominent Māori leaders are talking freedom of choice, tino rangatiratanga and personal mana motuhake, the time for that discussion is over.
She says Te Rōpū Whakakaupapa Urutā brings together doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other Māori health leaders with years of training and experience.
“Other people who are leaders in other areas of our political lives or iwi lives, they haven’t had the years of training we have had. Please believe Māori health leaders now who say if you haven’t been vaccinated, tomorrow is a really good day to get vaccinated because it will protect us in this outbreak that has Māori in its sights,” Professor Reid says.
She hopes the competitive aspects of Super Saturday will bring out more Māori, but the effort to get Māori vax rates up to 95 percent can’t stop there.