Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Why have Māori vaccination rates been slower?

Social media and "the spread of misinformation" have led to lower Māori vaccination rates, a kaupapa Māori health provider says.

And an iwi leader agrees, saying those who "undermine" messaging around the vaccine contribute to lower vaccination rates among Māori.

This comes as the Bay of Plenty District Health Board says Māori vaccination rates had been slower than the general population partly because communications had not always been "ideal" or "targeted to whānau".

The DHB also says it is looking to boost Māori vaccination rates by reviewing "alternative delivery methods".

As of January 11, 78 per cent of eligible Māori in the Bay of Plenty were fully vaccinated and 85 per cent had received one dose, Ministry of Health data showed.

Te Manu Toroa chief executive Pat Cook. Photo / Supplied

Te Manu Toroa chief executive Pat Cook said the influence of social media particularly on young people had been "huge" and had impacted its vaccination efforts.

The "lag" between the vaccination rollout starting and when those aged 18 and over became eligible was also a factor, she said.

Cook said a social media campaign early last year directed at Māori whānau and rangatahi "may have made a difference", but the spread of misinformation could not be contained easily.

"Even if the DHB had better anticipated their communications requirement, the sheer volume of Covid information available on the internet, on social media and in mainstream media would still see it struggling to compete against all the noise."

Cook said it would be "ramping up" its mobile vaccination clinic and targeting areas in Tauranga and the Western Bay which had lower Māori vaccination rates.

While the vaccine rollout started in February last year, the "bulk" of the remaining unvaccinated Māori, which were in the 20 to 40 age group, were not eligible for their shots until September, Cook said.

"That's a huge amount of time to be waiting in line. By the time their turn has come around, many have decided against the vaccine altogether.

"Additionally, the absence of Covid in the community meant there was no imperative or driver for Bay of Plenty Māori to get vaccinated."

Now Covid was in Tauranga Moana, it may push people who were unvaccinated to reconsider, Cook said.

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

Ngāi Te Rangi chief executive Paora Stanley said issues of messaging around the vaccine came from people who were "actively trying to unwind it and actively undermine it". He believed this was led by interest groups who believed Covid did not exist.

In his view, this contributed to lower Māori vaccination rates.

"Speaking to people who are uninformed is different to speaking to people who are committed not to listen."

Bay of Plenty District Health Board acting incident controller Stewart Ngatai said Māori vaccination rates had been slower to climb than the general population for multiple reasons, including some having "a hesitancy to engage" due to poor experiences and engagement with government agencies and authorities.

"Māori work collectively, so it can take a bit more time to get around whānau and have kōrero.

"Traditional marketing isn't as effective in this space, and traditionally there is wānanga around big decisions."

Ngatai said communications had not always been "ideal" or been "targeted to whānau".

"Services are not always reflective of the communities that we serve, and a diversity of workforce and approaches has been improving but are not as responsive as we would want it to be.

"Hapori [community] leaders have done some amazing work – speaking up to protect whakapapa and making a stand on getting vaccinated.

"Kaimahi [staff] have done an exceptional job and will continue to kōrero with those whānau who need more information about the vaccination."

Ngatai said it was "really important" all communities had equitable access to the vaccine and the right information.

"A great deal of collective mahi [work] is being done to ensure equitable rollout. Iwi, hauora, communities and the DHB are all working to ensure as many people as possible are vaccinated.

"These efforts include pop-up clinics, outreach activity and gains that have been made through empowered communities and iwi providers encouraging vaccination update among their hapori in ways they know will resonate."

Ngatai said the DHB had learned a lot in the past year about what worked and would continue to work closely with iwi, hauora and community providers.

Moving forward, he said there would be a "strong focus" on boosters and vaccination for tamariki and providing support for people with Covid-19.

"The best way for all of us to protect ourselves and our whānau against Covid-19, including the Omicron variant, is to be fully vaccinated."