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December 10, 2021
Māori in plan for tamariki vax roll out
Adam Gifford
Posted On December 10, 2021
Download AudioAssociate Health Minister Peeni Henare says planning is under way to ensure a smooth roll out of the Covid vaccine to tamariki once it is approved by Medsafe.
He says since the start of September Māori vaccination rates have outstripped those of any other group, and 86 percent of the eligible Māori population have had a first dose and 74.5 percent are fully vaccinated.
The Waitangi Tribunal has this week been hearing a claim that the Government’s Covid response failed to give due regard to Māori.
Mr Henare says the decision on vaccinating 5 to 11 year olds should be made in the next four to five weeks.
“We’ve engaged a number of people and iwi leaders and community and the Māori Council amongst other to say right, let’s come together on this one, we may not have nailed it entirely right on the first part of our vaccine roll out but we need to come together and do this for our tamariki,” he says.
Peeni Henare says letting Māori organisations run the vaccination programme for their tamariki mokopuna should go a long way towards overcoming any hesitancy in the community.
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