Capital and Coast DHB has second lowest vaccination rate per capita

Capital and Coast DHB had the second lowest vaccination per capita rate in the country. Photo / NZ Herald

Capital and Coast DHB has the second lowest-per capita vaccination rate in New Zealand, Ministry of Health figures show.

The vaccine rollout as at Wednesday July 7 showed only 9.7 per cent of people in CCDHB had received their first dose of the vaccine, and only 7.5 per cent were fully vaccinated.

Wellington National List MP Nicola Willis said she had been contacted by many Wellingtonians concerned about the speed of the local vaccine rollout.

"I have had dozens of Wellingtonians – particularly elderly Wellingtonians – come to me expressing concern that they still haven't been vaccinated," she said.

One had contacted her saying their 90-year-old father was yet to be vaccinated in Wellington, while a 60-year-old relative in Auckland had been.

National list MP Nicola Willis said she had been contacted by Wellingtonians concerned about the local vaccine rollout. Photo / Mark Mitchell

"That's just unfair and it's unacceptable," Willis said.

"I was pretty shocked to see where Wellington sits compared to the rest of the country – it's quite stark."

"We look to be the second worst performing area and that's a high price for Wellingtonians to be paying."

As at 1pm on July 7 CCHDB had administered 31,379 first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, and 24,165 second doses.

When compared with the region's population of 324,400 people, both figures are the second-lowest vaccination coverage throughout the country.

Hutt Valley and Capital & Coast DHBs Strategy, Planning and Performance Director Rachel Haggerty said the two DHBs were running a joint vaccination programme and had given at least one dose to around 50,000 people in the region.

Ministry of Health figures showed Hutt Valley to have a higher vaccination per capita rate than Capital and Coast, with 12.81 per cent having received one dose, and 8.75 per cent fully vaccinated.

9.7 per cent of people in CCDHB have received their first dose of the Covid vaccine. photo / NZ Herald

Haggerty said the two DHBs had "consistently exceeded" vaccinations targets agreed in the plan between the DHBs and the Ministry of Health.

"This plan will see us complete vaccinations for all people in our region before the end of this year, in line with our fellow DHBs in other parts of the country."

Haggerty said the DHBs worked closely with the Ministry of Health to ensure the vaccine delivery matched availability.

They were anticipating "significantly scaling up our vaccine delivery in the coming weeks", which would involve opening 30 more clinics across the region, in addition to the 13 already open.

Willis was concerned "confusion and frustration" at the local Wellington vaccine rollout had the potential to derail the region's overall vaccination pick-up.

"What I would hate to see is a situation where people become so confused by delays, by not hearing from the medical authorities that we end up getting lower vaccination rates – that's the risk here."

According to the Ministry of Health data, only the Taranaki DHB had administered less vaccines per capita than Capital and Coast, with 8.4 per cent with their first dose, and 4.7 per cent fully vaccinated.

The West Coast region was leading the race on first doses, with 21.54 per cent of the population having received its first vaccination.

Nelson Marlborough had the highest proportion of its population fully vaccinated, with 15.6 per cent having received a second dose.