Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Bay of Plenty reaches 90 per cent, what's next?

The Tauranga central Covid vaccination centre at 87 First Avenue is offering first, second and booster shots of the vaccine. Photo / Megan Wilson

Now the Bay of Plenty District Health Board region has reached the 90 per cent fully vaccinated milestone, what's next? Can we reach the last 10 per cent or do we need to accept a certain number will remain unvaccinated? Reporter Megan Wilson speaks to Bay of Plenty health providers, iwi leaders and politicians about where to from here.

Keeping strong relationships with people who have not had the Covid-19 vaccine will be an important factor in reaching the final 10 per cent, a hauora service provider says.

This was so it could "keep the door open" in case those who were unvaccinated reconsidered or had questions about the vaccine.

But one politician says while it was important to keep trying to fully vaccinate the final 10 per cent, in the end people had a choice.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board has confirmed the region has reached its 90 per cent fully vaccinated target.

Ministry of Health data showed as of 11.59pm on January 6, just 95 doses were needed to reach this target.

Moving forward to the final 10 per cent, Poutiri Trust general manager Kirsty Maxwell-Crawford said the trust had close relationships with its communities and its focus was to deliver "comprehensive health and wellbeing services to all parts of the community including that 10 per cent".

"For those 10 per cent who are not vaccinated at this point, the key feedback that we've been given is that's something that they have chosen for themselves," she said.

"While we are pro-vaccination, we also are pro-choice in the sense that we care for their health and wellbeing inclusive of but not exclusive to Covid and the vaccinations."

Maxwell-Crawford said those who were unvaccinated sometimes felt discriminated against or were getting differential treatment.

"When people feel like they're being asked constantly about their vaccination status and they've chosen not to, the last thing we want is that to become a barrier for them to continue to access other health services.

"So, if we can make sure that there isn't a barrier, then we can continue to have conversations but in a way that doesn't harass those that feel they have made the right choice for them at this particular time.

"And by keeping those relationships strong, you can keep the door open to ongoing communication in case there comes a time or a point where they've got extra questions or they're starting to reconsider."

Bay of Plenty District Health Board acting incident controller Stewart Ngatai said the biggest challenge in reaching the final 10 per cent would be those in "hard-to-reach areas" who were "hesitant to engage", often through poor experiences and engagement in the past.

It planned to reach that 10 per cent by providing information and having a korero to ensure people were well-informed, as well as through fixed-site and mobile clinics.

"The DHB, hauora and other providers are increasingly taking [the] vaccine to people. This helps to provide a setting that is familiar and inviting, with faces they know and trust."

Ngatai said reaching 90 per cent was "a tremendous achievement" and it would go a long way in keeping whānau safe, he said.

It was also a testament to "a lot of tireless mahi" by iwi, hauora, DHB staff and other providers.

"While it's great to celebrate this milestone, it's important to remember that more mahi is needed to help as many people as possible gain access to the vaccine and the right information.

"We all need to work together to get the vaccination rate as high as possible and protect our friends and whanau from the virus."

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges. Photo / NZME

National Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said it was important to keep trying to reach those who were unvaccinated but in the end, people had a choice.

"I want to see Government, the DHB and partners such as iwi continue doing their good work, but I think reluctantly we don't want to see anything unduly overbearing or compulsive.

"In the end, people have a free choice in our society."

Tauranga-based Labour list MP Jan Tinetti. Photo / George Novak

Tauranga-based Labour list MP Jan Tinetti said we should not "give up" because there were still people in that 10 per cent who would get vaccinated.

In the week before Christmas, a vaccine clinic in Merivale was still administering first doses, which Tinetti described as one of the "harder-to-reach" areas.

"I still think that there are people there who have for whatever reason put that off ... and so they're still coming in and getting vaccinated.

"Sometimes people do need a bit of an extra push ... and so there's been some really great places that have been running incentive programmes.

"Often those people need things like food vouchers ... I think that's great if we can help them out at the same time."

Moving forward, Tinetti wanted to see a focus on booster shots.

"If we've got Omicron looming on our borders, we need to make certain that we're in the best position for that as well."

Te Manu Toroa chief executive Pat Cook said short of further mandates or incentivising the hold-outs, the final 5 to 10 per cent won't want to vaccinate.

Ngāi Te Rangi chief executive Paora Stanley. Photo / George Novak

Ngāi Te Rangi chief executive Paora Stanley said the unvaccinated would create a "strain on the system".

"A strain on the system occurs when all resources get taken to look after the unvaccinated and then it gets taken away from the vulnerable, the people who have chronic health conditions.

"That's where we'll start to hurt and kill our people - that's where my concern is."

Boosters

The DHB is reminding people the interval between the second vaccination and the booster had been reduced from six months or more to four months or more, for those aged 18 and over.

Walk-ins were already being accepted, and people could book online on the Book My Vaccine website from January 17, Bay of Plenty DHB acting incident controller Stewart Ngatai said.

"If a person does want to get their booster over the holiday period they are advised to check with the local vaccination provider to ensure they have an appointment and supply is available."

Angelica McColl-Blair: One of the final few to get their second dose in the Bay of Plenty

Angelica McColl-Blair pictured with her partner Caleb Smith. Angelica got her second dose of the vaccine on Friday. Photo / Megan Wilson

Angelica McColl-Blair, 24, can finally download her vaccine pass after receiving her second dose at the Covid vaccination centre on First Avenue in Tauranga yesterday. McColl-Blair got her first dose in September so getting her second had been "a long time coming".

"I'd just been away with family and things like that I so just haven't had the chance to actually get it done."

As well as getting double-vaccinated for work reasons, McColl-Blair was looking forward to being fully vaccinated so she could "finally go to restaurants".

"Because you can't really do much without [the vaccine pass].

"[I] just obviously need it for work and obviously people have lost their jobs over it so I'd rather stay employed than not."