Suburbs under the Lakes District Health Board have been ranked according to vaccination rates. Photo / Getty
Most of the top 10 most vaccinated suburbs in the Lakes District Health Board area are in Rotorua, but one in Taupō has them all beat.
The lakefront community of Wharewaka has the Lakes' highest rate of jabbed residents with 64 per cent fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, new Ministry of Health figures show.
In second place, Rotorua's Springfield North has 61.8 per cent of its eligible population double-dosed and 85 per cent with one dose.
Hamurana comes in third with 59.9 per cent fully vaccinated. Other suburbs in the top 10n included Lynmore and Glenholme South.
Rangitāiki, east of Taupō had the lowest fully vaccinated rate in the area, with 21 per cent of the suburb's eligible population fully vaccinated - 70.5 per cent, however, had one dose.
Neighbouring Murupara, which falls into the Bay of Plenty DHB area, had New Zealand's lowest rates with 16.1 per cent fully vaccinated and 32.6 per cent having one dose.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited Murupara and Rotorua on Thursday to promote the vaccine.
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Health experts say people in suburbs with low vaccinations who had the jab could help send positive messages about the vaccine and stand up and say "It's the right thing to do".
Taupō Mayor David Trewavas said he wasn't surprised to hear Wharewaka was leading the way with 64 per cent of its eligible population being fully vaccinated.
"It's a lovely community out there, very understanding and prepared to do their bit. Congratulations to them and well done."
Trewavas said he expected the vaccination rates to continue to rise in Taupō in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
"They're not doing it for themselves they're doing it for their people. Taupō is a very community-minded place.
"The vaccination centre this week has been like Grand Central Station."
Rotorua Lakes councillor Reynold MacPherson said it was "marvellous" to see Springfield North in the Lakes top 10.
"I think it's people taking responsibility for their lives and other people."
He said common sense would prevail.
"More and more people will realise that if they don't take the step of getting vaccinated they are putting themselves and their loved ones at risk."
Hamurana resident Jennifer Rothwell believed the suburb should have higher vaccination rates.
"I think 59 is not enough at all. I am pleased that Hamurana is up there but we could do better," Rothwell said.
"I think everybody should be getting themselves vaccinated and really if we're wanting to get back to some semblance normality.
"Any possible future variants after Delta are not going to be easy to control so we need to do what we can to protect ourselves."
Rothwell worried there would be a "levelling off" of vaccine uptake and said she would support legislation that restricted access to certain activities to only vaccinated people.
"We need to be up in the 90s. People need to be kept aware that it's the most important thing they can do."
Rangitāiki Community Board chairwoman Kris Byrne said that with 70.5 per cent of the community having received their first dose, she expected its low full vaccination rate to turn in the next six weeks.
"Most of the people I know have had their first jab or are now fully vaccinated."
Byrne said she suspected the numbers could have been affected by the availability of the vaccine on the ground.
"Five weeks ago when I went for my first shot I had to go into Whakatāne. I got the second one at the local pharmacy."
Te Arawa Covid Response Hub kaumātua Monty Morrison said the data confirmed inequities in the vaccine roll-out.
"It is clear more mahi needs to be undertaken by all groups and that as many barriers are removed as possible to ensure even our most vulnerable whānau have access to the vaccine."
Morrison said the hub had been working to better connect with whānau groups in under-vaccinated suburbs.
"It is the hub's hope that our communities will come together to fight both the information that is rife on social media and this virus.
"Government agencies responsible for the roll-out also need to be continuously consulting with iwi as Te Tiriti partners, not just stakeholders."
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Pikiao GP Dr Grace Malcolm said providing people with vaccination information face-to-face would lift the vaccination rates in some suburbs.
"Get groups together who want straightforward information that does not pull punches and does not coerce. I am happy to do information sessions around the need to vaccinate."
Malcolm said vaccine accessibility was needed with no bookings required, multiple outreach popup venues and workplace vaccinations.
"Several community arms are reaching out to help. This is also the reason a drive-through [vaccination centre] was set up on the corner of Fairy Springs and Clayton Rds, to reach Western Heights and Fordlands areas."
University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker acknowledged the "big disparities" between suburbs and said the "first principle" for vaccination was accessibility.
This included taking it to people who had problems with transport, providing accurate information and administering the vaccine in a culturally appropriate way.
This meant ensuring people felt "welcome" when getting the vaccine, and could relate to those administering the vaccine.
Baker said each community group had leaders or people they respected.
"It's finding those people in the community who are already on side, they've had the vaccine, [and] can actually stand up and say 'I've had the vaccine - it's the right thing to do'."
Rather than civic leaders, it was people who were "part of their community" and were "respected by their peers", he said.
Accessibility was also about making "high-quality information widely available from people who are trusted".
Asked about the Government advising that people should now have three weeks between doses rather than the earlier recommended six weeks, Baker said: "Everyone in New Zealand should now plan on encountering this virus before Christmas."
"Don't take the chance - and that means [get] double-vaccinated by Christmas."
Another motivator to get vaccinated was gaining access to hospitality businesses and events, he said.
"[People] might not be motivated by fear of the virus, but if it's going to limit the things they like to do because they won't be able to gain entry into certain environments, I think that's going to be a useful incentive."
Toi Te Ora Public Health medical officer Dr Phil Shoemack said overall the vaccination roll-out across the Lakes District was going extremely well.
"However, it is far from over and we need to seize every opportunity to get as many people vaccinated as possible.
"Everyone benefits from each additional individual who gets vaccinated."
Shoemack said it was great to see so many community leaders advocating for Covid-19 vaccination and recommended that anyone who was unsure read the material on the Ministry of Health website.
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