Craig Cooper: Vax mandate motivating Hawke's Bay fence sitters

DHB Pacific Health lead Talalelei Taufale at the Covid 19 vaccine jab centre, Cook Islands Hall, in Flaxmere. Hawke's Bay's Pacifica community has reached a 100 per cent vaccine rate. Photo / NZME

What a difference six days make.

After a quiet long weekend, Hawke's Bay has picked up the vaccination momentum again.

Last Tuesday, 120,705 people had been vaccinated once in Hawke's Bay.

The Magic Number to get to 90 per cent double vaxxed is 131,014 out of our eligible population of 145,571.

Last week we were 10,309 people short of the target, and tracking roughly for a 90 per cent "single vax" date of about December 11.

This Monday, 123,264 people had received their first dose - that's 2559 in six days.

Or 25 per cent of our 10,309 target in six days.

7750 to go.

At the current rate (426.5 a day) we'd hit a single vax target in 18 days - on or around November 20.

Joseph and Patricia Kouka celebrate their jabs on Super Saturday (October 16) with a cold treat. Photo / NZME

Suddenly, we are heading toward a 90 per cent single vax target three weeks earlier.

Which consequently means a double vax target looms well before Christmas.

90 per cent double vaccinated is significant - it equals "red light, orange light, green light".

The new traffic light levels have more personal and business freedom associated with them than the old levels.

They also herald the introduction of vaccine mandates that will restrict the personal and work freedom of our non-vaccinated population.

Teachers and health workers are breaking that new ground for all of us, who are also realising that any business that interacts with mandated sectors, are by default, also going to need vaccine mandates.

There is of course dispensation if you have a vaccination certificate and rules around public gatherings etc can be relaxed if they are restricted to certificate holders.

Overseas, there have been similar surges after mandate rules were announced.

It tends to activate fence sitters and those of us who aren't necessarily anti-vax, but simply resent being told what to do.

Expect another surge as we get to mid-November.

And not because we're giving away fried chicken or vouchers as incentives.

That's when our teachers have to indicate if they are going to vax or not, so our schools and early childhood centres can recruit staff for 2022.

By mid-November, there won't be many fence sitters left in the education sector.