The 90% Project is an NZ Herald initiative that aims to reach all New Zealanders to get the word out about vaccination so we can save lives and restore freedoms. Video / NZ Herald
South Island cities and districts continue to lead the way on vaccination rates - with Dunedin still New Zealand's top jabbed town and five other South Island districts in the top six.
But jabs almost ran out at one pop-up centre in previously last-placed Ōtorohanga yesterday, helping propel the southWaikato district up two places, with 40.2 per cent of eligible residents fully vaxxed as of 11.59 Thursday - the same time Waikato's level 3 area was widened to include the town and other rural areas after Covid-19 cases were discovered outside the original boundary.
He wasn't surprised by the jump, Ōtorohanga district mayor Max Baxter said.
"The numbers were huge [Thursday]. We almost ran out of vaccine … at St David's Church [pop up vaccination centre] they were getting very low at point late in the afternoon."
They're lining up for jabs in Ōtorohanga. File photo / Christine Cornege
Mobile and pop-up vaccination sites are always stocked for the expected demand plus a "considerable buffer" of around 20 per cent, a Waikato District Health Board spokesman said.
"This was precisely the case in Ōtorohanga as we were thrilled to see a huge turnout at the St David's Church site ... we were able to use the buffer supply to ensure all comers received a vaccination."
He was told by people on-site there were 60 to 70 walk-ins yesterday, which was around double the number also booked, Baxter said.
"This is an absolute turnaround from where we've been … I'm absolutely confident that will continue.
"It's become real quite quickly, and that just changes people's mindset."
Waikato had its biggest day for vaccinations yesterdaywith 10,397 doses given.
Other areas under the cloud of community Covid cases also saw their vaccine fortunes rise, including Auckland, which cracked the top 10 for the first time.
Fast-rising Hamilton, meanwhile, trailed one place behind, in 11th, after jumping four places yesterday.
The Herald is running a "Top Town" initiative as part of our vaccination campaign The 90 per cent Project, which aims to get 90 per cent of eligible Kiwis fully vaccinated by Christmas.
Data from the Ministry of Health shows 62.8 per cent of those living inside Dunedin City Council boundaries are fully vaccinated, narrowly ahead of those in Marlborough - who are 62.6 per cent fully jabbed as of today.
Dunedin was fourth on the list when the initiative began on Saturday.
It also currently has the fourth-lowest population of unvaccinated people at 12.3 per cent, behind Queenstown-Lakes (8.6 per cent), Wellington (9.7 per cent) and Canterbury's Selwyn (11.9 per cent).
He was glad to see high vax rates in his areas, Dunedin City mayor Aaron Hawkins said this week.
"Before we congratulate ourselves, we know that won't be evenly spread across the community.
"It's really important that we continue to find the people that haven't made use of the vaccination programme to date."
Inland from the top town, Central Otago residents are just under a per cent behind in third place, 0.3 per cent ahead of Nelson.
Kaikōura, in second spot yesterday, has dropped to fifth, at 59 per cent twice jabbed.
A big mover is Hamilton, which is in level 3 along with several Waikato towns after Covid-19 was discovered in the community last weekend and jumped four places to 11th on the table today.
There are now 56.2 per cent of eligible Hamiltonians double-dosed, half a per cent fewer than Auckland's 56.7 per cent fully vaxxed. Auckland, which is at the heart of the Delta outbreak first discovered in August, is also at level 3.
Where to get a vaccination in Auckland - without a booking
Thames-Coromandel, which had a scare when the Aucklander whose positive test alerted authorities to outbreak visited the area just before falling ill, sits at eighth on the table - up two - on 57.2 per cent fully vaccinated.
Other big moves included Canterbury's Hurunui district, up 10 places to 44th with 47.9 per cent having had two doses and Porirua, up six places to 30th equal with 51 per cent double-dosed.
Waipā, which like Ōtorohanga joined northern Waikato in level 3 late last night after cases were discovered outside the original level 3 boundary, jumped two places to 24th on 52 per cent.
Taranaki's Stratford, unfortunately, went the other way, dropping eight places to 33rd.
The number of fully vaccinated people in the district sits at 49.9 per cent.
