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Download AudioIncreasing vaccinations is still critical to limiting the impact of the Omicron wave on Māori, according to a researcher who has been tracking the Covid pandemic.
Rawiri Taonui says with more than 100,000 active cases throughout the country, Māori remains more exposed because of their lower vaccination rate.
In part that’s because of the younger age profile of the Māori population.
“Eighty-four per cent of all New Zealanders are vaccinated if we include all the kids, and we should include the kids now because that has been the source of a lot of the recent spread. If we look at the Māori population, we are 63.4 per cent vaccinated and one of the reasons that is a lot lower is because of 200,000 kids aged under 12,” he says
Dr Taonui says current case numbers are ahead of modelling for a peak of 30,000 cases a day, and he’s concerned there could be up to 100 deaths a month, compared with seven a month during the Delta wave.
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