Māori aged 50-64 are getting vaccinated by health providers, even though the Government rejected expert advice for them to be prioritised.
Cabinet was advised by the immunisation advisory group to give higher vaccine priority to Māori and Pacific peoples aged 50-64, and to those in residential care, including the imprisoned, the homeless and the addicted.
But this was rejected, and Māori and Pacific peoples up to the age of 64 were instead part of the general rollout, while those aged 65 and over having the same priority as the others in that age group - even though they are much more likely to catch Covid-19 and have more severe outcomes.
Instead, Cabinet agreed to give 40,000 vaccine doses to Māori and Pacific health providers for group 2 for older Māori and Pasifika cared for by whānau - though Cabinet was advised to do this as well as prioritise those aged 50-64.
The general rollout, known as group 4, was supposed to begin at the end of July, but many health providers have already begun vaccinating people deemed vulnerable in those groups.