Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Bay of Plenty Māori vaccinations soar as community takes lead

Associate Minister of Health (Māori) Peeni Henare leading a community hui about Covid-19 in Matapihi last November. Photo / George Novak

Māori vaccination in the Bay of Plenty has soared in the past six weeks. And an approach of "Māori servicing Māori" has been touted as why.

As of January 6, 77 per cent of Maori in the Bay of Plenty were fully vaccinated and 84 per cent had received one dose.

On November 16, just 53 per cent of the eligible Māori population had had both doses.

On November 16, Associate Minister of Health (Māori) Peeni Henare held a community hui at Hungaungatoroa Marae, Matapihi, and heard Māori concerns about the Government's pandemic plans.

Associate Minister of Health (Maori Health) Peeni Henare at his community hui in Matapihi in November. Photo / George Novak

The ministry has since established a local operational hub that includes the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, hauora providers, the Ministry of Social Development and the Ministry of Health.

"The purpose of the hub is to improve the operating and logistics of the vaccine programme to ensure the strongest uptake possible for Māori vaccinations," Henare said.

The ministry provided "on-the-ground support for hauora providers and the DHBs" to vaccinate the community.

Ngāti Ranginui chairwoman Donna Gardiner said the jump in vaccination rates was due to "the Māori-led response".

She identified whānau, marae, hapū and iwi, collectivising and supporting hauora providers, Māori providers, Whanau Ora and marae response teams as the groups who had made the difference.

She said the Government was "finally" taking advice given "by Māori doctors, researchers, health professionals and iwi" to work with iwi and Māori health providers.

But there were still issues, she said.

"Iwi and Māori community providers and networks are still struggling to access resources to implement their strategies.

"The issue once again is the funders find it difficult to both trust and/or recognise the value in working with iwi and Māori."

Te Arawa Lakes Trust chief executive Karen Vercoe said the increase in vaccinations was down to their community-led approach.

"When our people realised that it was us - Māori servicing Māori - that made a lot of changes. They feel a lot more comfortable."

Te Arawa Trust CEO Karen Vercoe said Māori want vaccination efforts that are Māori-led. Photo / Andrew Warner

Te Arawa specifically involved "young people talking to young people".

Vaccine requirements for employees and travel had been "a wake-up call" for many unvaccinated people, she said.

She said vaccinations would work better if health services stuck to health services and left marketing/promotion to community groups and iwi.

"They should let us do what we do well, and they should just be the vaccinators. We know how to reach our people."

Te Hono o Mataatua ki Te Moana-nui-a-Toi (Confederated Tribes of Mataatua) convening chairman Sir Hirini Moko Mead said vaccination was the best defence against Covid-19.

He praised Henare's community hui and said the minister was "listening and present within our hāpori".

Iwi health and wellbeing services, government testers, and trusted leaders who debunked vaccination myths were also credited for increased vaccinations.

The Māori vaccination rates will rise further by "bespoke solutions that are particular to the demographics of each localised area", Mead said.

Sir Hirini Moko Mead said "bespoke solutions" are needed for Māori communities to deal with Covid-19 vaccinations. Photo / Alan Gibson

He said other key elements were "taking clinical care to the people", "having kanohi ki te kanohi [face to face] conversations with hesitant people", and "implementing localised solutions that are resourced and funded in a timely manner".

"The Crown needs to trust its Treaty partners to assist in keeping our whānau and hāpori safe."

Poutiri Trust general manager Kirsty Maxwell-Crawford said mandatory vaccination for some workplaces made some hesitant people get jabbed.

"Ideally, we would like Māori providers to actually be able to lead out the vaccinations, but that was not a decision that the ministry or others made. Māori providers already exist within those active community networks, and know who to connect with across our area."

However, she said the support Poutiri received from the DHB had been "really strong".

Act Party leader David Seymour said the Government had not effectively managed community engagement regarding vaccinations and it had "failed" to partner with all communities.

Act Party leader David Seymour says: "Maori, being people, got vaccinated like all the other people." Photo / George Novak

"I think it's patronising and wrong to say that a Māori person who has the information, who has the means to get to a vaccination centre, is any less capable of getting vaccinated than anyone else.

"So I'm not surprised that in the last couple of months Māori, being people, got vaccinated like all the other people."

Chris Bishop, National Party Covid-19 spokesman, said the Māori vaccination spike was a result of the Government working more closely with GPs, pharmacies and Māori health providers.

Vaccine passes have also helped, he said.

"There has been a belated recognition that those who have community connections are best placed to deliver vaccinations."

National Party Covid-19 spokesman Chris Bishop getting his first Covid-19 vaccination in May 2021. Photo / Supplied

Bay of Plenty DHB acting executive director Stuart Ngatai said the vaccination rates were due to "the incredible work of a range of Māori and iwi hauora providers".

"There has been a lot of learning along the way, particularly the importance of engaging and partnering, not just with providers in the health system, but communities across the DHB catchment."

He said street events and mobile vaccination teams were a result of this engagement.

Astrid Koornneef, director of the Ministry of Health's National Immunisation Programme, said the ministry was "providing on-the-ground assistance as well as funding, infrastructure, communications support ... and data and insights".

She cited "whanau-centred" vaccinations where families could get jabbed together and specific equity funding to help with informed consent as ways the ministry had targeted Māori.

Charlie Tawhio, chairman of Ngai te Rangi, declined to comment.

Ngati Pukenga was also contacted for comment.