February 17, 2021
Maori consulted on vaccine roll out
Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare says work is going on ensuring Maori are appropriately dealt with at every stage of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
Māori have been questioning whether their needs are being considered, including data showing many of the conditions that put people into the more vulnerable categories happen to be Māori at a younger age than Pākehā.
Mr Henare says vaccination of workers at the border and in managed isolation facilities starts at the weekend.
Phase two will include healthcare workers and the elderly, phase three the broader population and phase four will pick up any unvaccinated individuals.
"We’ve got to make sure we communicate these messages properly. We’ve got to make sure we reach rural sectors, reach populations such as our kuia kaumatua, as well as the health challenges with some who have pre-existing co-morbidities which makes it a little bit trickier to make sure the vaccine serves them properly and doesn’t have an adverse effect,” he says.
Mr Henare says whānau ora commissioning agencies, iwi leaders and Māori health providers are involved in the planning.
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