Iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana and wife Mere, leading by example.
Iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana and wife Mere, leading by example.
March 10, 2021, marked an exciting milestone in our fight against Covid-19. Minister Chris Hipkins announced the Covid-19 vaccine rollout plan and minister Peeni Henare told how they would support Māori communities throughout the vaccination campaign.
The Aotearoa vaccine rollout plan sets out the order in which the Covid-19vaccine will be administered across the motu.
The plan focuses first on protecting those most at risk from being exposed to Covid-19, reducing the risk of future community cases and lockdowns, and then protecting those most at risk of getting seriously ill if they get the virus.
The sequencing plan provides certainty to the more than two million people who can expect to start being vaccinated during the initial stages of our rollout over the next 3-4 months.
The plan is to vaccinate Aotearoa in four broad groups, these are:
Hawke's Bay DHB chief executive officer Keriana Brooking and iwi chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana presenting plans for the rollout.
1. Our 50,000 border and MIQ workers, their household contacts and the people they live with. This started last month, and the vast bulk will be completed this month, with at least one dose administered.
2. About 480,000 frontline workers and people living in high-risk settings. Starting with the 57,000 healthcare workers on community frontlines, and then moving through to healthcare workers protecting our most vulnerable and some priority populations. Anyone who lives in the Counties Manukau DHB area who is 65 and older or has an underlying health condition is also included in this group. Vaccination of these people started in February and will continue through to May.
3. Priority populations. About 1.7 million people who are at higher risk if they catch Covid-19 — this is planned to start in May. Whānau Māori and Pacific communities will feature significantly in this group, not only as kaumātua and elderly aged 65 and over, but also because our people suffer disproportionately from other conditions which make them more vulnerable.
4. The remainder of the general population — about two million people. This will start from July.
If you're wondering when you'll be able to get your vaccine, kia mau tonu mai — an online tool that helps whānau find out when they can get vaccinated will be launched shortly. It will describe the four broad groups and will take people through a series of questions to work out when it'll be their turn.
Over the past two months, iwi leaders have been working with the Hawke's Bay District Health Board in planning for the vaccine rollout in Hawke's Bay.
The rollout for port workers started two weeks ago and vaccine workers saw some of our Māori whānau and Pasifika aiga concerned and unsure about being vaccinated. For this very purpose, iwi leader Ngahiwi Tomoana and wife Mere, led by example and received the vaccine to help our people cross that barrier.
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated wants to reiterate the minister's kōrero, "Getting vaccinated is the best way we can keep our whānau safe against Covid-19". We must lead by example. Kia kaha rā e hoa mā!
Hawke's Bay Today reported that two weeks ago our port workers in Napier rolled up their sleeves to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, arming themselves to help protect our community from Covid. Thanks community heroes. Video Footage Released — View the Hawkes Bay DHB Facebook page: https://fb.watch/48kjaiLNOe/
