November 17, 2022
Extent of Covid unknown as third wave starts
The clinical director for the northern region vaccination programme is urging Māori to get their booster shots as the third Covid-19 wave starts to pick up momentum.
From tomorrow Maori aged 40 to 49 will be eligible for a second booster, acknowledging the higher risk they face of Long Covid or death.
Dr Anthony Jordan says he’d also like to see higher uptake of Maori getting the first booster, but the vaccination efforts so far have definitely helped to manage the pandemic.
“If we look at the number of cases reported versus what we see in wastewater and people still turning up to hospital sick with Covid, it
is only representing a fraction of the cases we are seeing people report tests on so Covid is still there and Covid is still causing illness amongst our people,” he says.