But helping the team is not a priority for the thousands of struggling families who know they have never before been a part of anyone's team. They know no one was really interested in them before Covid but now it's the team's self-interest and self-preservation that requires them to get cracking and get vaccinated.
Don't think vulnerable families are stupid. They most definitely are not. But they are used to being judged.
They're always back of the bus, back of the queue. Their health needs are never given the same care and consideration as others.
The range of interventions and treatments are never equal. And sadly, expectations are low "this is as good as it gets" and few in the illustrious team of 5 million have spoken up and advocated to make the health needs of vulnerable families a priority.
Prior to lockdown, these families were already living in poverty, with poor housing, poor health and little money.
They were surviving but certainly not thriving. Try explaining that, by vaccinating, you are helping to keep everyone well, when your own health has been seriously compromised for years, takes gall.
It is not yet on their radar to vaccinate. If we want this picture to change, get the families to vaccinate we should be prepared to have an honest conversation with them.
Along the lines of: "You are an important part of New Zealand society. You always were but we might not have told you this before. But it is true.
"On reflection, there is so much we should have been aware of. We know you have become accustomed to seeing family members dying around eight years earlier than the rest of us. And we should have helped do something about that years ago, but we can now. It's not too late.
"We know too that your living standards were eroded as our country embraced "market forces". That saw more than 30 per cent of your household income spent on rent. You have had no disposable dollars for years, yet we never asked how are you doing?
"We know your children will be readmitted each winter to hospital with respiratory problems. And we know you are the face of growing poverty in New Zealand.
"We don't want to face it. Sometimes if we look away quickly we kid ourselves you don't exist. But you do exist. You are part of our team of 5 million, and if we have treated you shabbily in the past, we can change that. It's never too late to change.
"But right now we need your help. We are asking you, imploring you, to get vaccinated. And not just for our own selfish reasons but we want this for you and your families as well.
"You are a vital part of New Zealand's future. And we do have a bright future in front of us. It mightn't look like that now, but when this Covid pandemic is over, done and dusted, the team will move to address all the inequities that we've turned a blind eye to in the past. You can hold us to that."
Because without having an honest conversation it looks as if we are only interested in our own self-preservation.
So let's make it as easy as possible for vulnerable families to get vaccinated. Get the Ministry of Health and district health boards to hand over the resources to Māori and community providers to do their own planning for vaccinating these families.
Stop getting them to make a booking. The "no shows" for medical appointments in the Lakes district are the highest in the country.
Provide regular drive-throughs, more after-hours and weekend vaccinating. Mix the venues to include more marae and sports clubs. Local providers with local knowledge and extensive networks, know what their families respond to. What will work. Some of this is already happening.
Make it easy, keep it simple.
To anyone still unsure whether or not to vaccinate I would say if you don't particularly care about yourself, that always remains your choice. But I believe this is a mokopuna decision too.
We don't always have the luxury of making decisions that affect only us as individuals.
A mokopuna decision means you are thinking of the future; a future where your mokopuna are thriving, living to their potential.
You are important to New Zealand's future, your own and that of your mokopuna too.
We can't do this without you. We need you on our team. Thank you.
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is chairwoman of the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency, a Lakes District Health Board member and Rotorua District councillor.
