Prioritise Māori and Pasifika providers in vax rollout to children, and keep pushing for over 90%

The Green Party is calling on the Government to do everything it can to boost the Māori vaccination rate to over 90% of the eligible population, and to prioritise Māori and Pasifika providers in the rollout of vaccinations to 5-11 year olds, now that Medsafe has provisionally approved its use for the younger age group.

“We are pleased New Zealand has reached 90% of the eligible population fully vaccinated, but there is still a lot more work to do to ensure Māori, their whānau, friends and communities have the same level of protection from the virus,” says Green Party spokesperson for COVID-19 response Dr Elizabeth Kerekere.

“Right now, only 76% of Māori are fully vaccinated across the country, and 86% first dose. The rate is considerably lower in rural areas and particularly among younger Māori.

“However, the efforts to get our Māori and Pasifika communities vaccinated do continue to trend up, and this is happening because of the remarkable efforts of our community providers and local leaders.

“Reaching the 90% milestone for the eligible population is great news, but it highlights the need for ongoing outreach and mobile vaccination clinics in rural areas, particularly over the holiday period. It is really important we keep working to get our whānau beyond the 90% milestone as quickly as possible.

“Lessons from the vaccination rollout must be learnt as we get ready to vaccinate our tamariki aged five to 11 years. This includes making sure Māori and Pasifika providers are prioritised so they can focus on what works for Māori and Pasifika kids.

“The Greens have always said Māori must be prioritised and empowered to lead their own vaccinations programmes for whānau,” says Dr Elizabeth Kerekere.

ENDS

Action

How to get involved - Treaty Principles

Information on how to make a submission, volunteer or run your own event.

Action

Submit for Climate Action

Submit today to ask the Government to commit to strong Climate Change targets.

Action

Treaty Principles - Make a submission

Join our submission. Let's make it clear that we do not support the Treaty Principles bill.

Action

Ditch the Bootcamps - Sign our petition

Sign our petition demanding an end to bootcamps for children.

Action

Build Dunedin Hospital

Take our poll on how the Government should spend its money, and email Christopher Luxon telling him your thoughts.

Action

Oil & Gas Quick Submissions 2024

Sign the quick submission to save the oil & gas ban!

Action

Stop Fast-track Destruction

Join our call to stop the Fast-track Approvals Bill.

Action

Protect te reo Māori

Sign our petition asking Minister Erica Stanford to keep prioritising the teaching of te reo Māori.

Action

Cut the Coal Petition | Join the movement

Fight back: Tell the government that coal mining is not our future.

Action

Protect Our Freshwater

Join our Green MPs in calling for the government to protect freshwater. Proposed changes to the Resource Management Act threaten New Zealand's...

Volunteer

The Greens are proud to be driven by passionate people like you. Today we need your help to take action on the biggest issues facing Aotearoa. Volu...

Action

Expand Voting

Now more than ever, young people in Aotearoa are impacted by Government decisions, and they deserve to have a say. We are calling on all Members of...

Action

End Intensive Winter Grazing

Sign the petition to Labour Ministers, to move faster in bringing regulations into force and end intensive winter grazing.

Action

Healthy Oceans 2022

Join our Healthy Oceans Crew to help us keep the health and protection of our oceans high on the Labour Government’s political agenda.

Action

Local Events

We have activists across Aotearoa / New Zealand who are working hard to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids. This page lists upcomin...

Latest Māori Development Announcements

Story

Govt already seeking advice on Treaty referendum

On one hand, the Prime Minister has assured Aotearoa that his party will not support the Treaty Principles Bill beyond first reading, but on the ot...

Greens call on Treaty Principles Bill to be abandoned after letter from Christian leaders

The Green Party is once again urging the Prime Minister to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill as a letter from more than 400 Christian leaders call...

Vast majority of councils support Māori wards

Councils across the country have now decided where they stand regarding Māori wards, with a resounding majority in favour of keeping them in what i...

Govt shirks its responsibility to Whakaata Māori

The Green Party has called out the Government for allowing Whakaata Māori to effectively collapse to a shell of its former self as job cuts and pro...

Greens call on Luxon to abandon Treaty Principles Bill following Waitangi Tribunal report

The Green Party is calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill following the Waitangi Tribunal’s scathing rep...

Budget neglects Māori and disregards Te Tiriti

The Green Party’s Te Mātāwaka (Māori and Pasifika) caucus has labelled this year’s Budget as unambitious for Māori and unapologetic in its disregar...

Story

Green Party stands in support of survivors of abuse in care

Today, the Green Party stands alongside the survivors of abuse in state care and faith-based care as the Government issues an historic apology.

Without action, an apology will be empty air

For tomorrow’s apology to survivors of abuse in state and faith-based care to hold any water, the Government must not pursue the same policies that...

Govt undermines OT frontline services, breaks pledge

The Minister for Children Karen Chhour’s pledge that cuts to Oranga Tamariki would not impact frontline services has been broken.

Govt must listen to experiences of abuse survivors

The Government must do all it can to bring abuse in care to an end following the release of the independent inquiry.

Government ignorant of evidence in neglect of tamariki

Today’s justification from the Minister for Children for scrapping protections for our tamariki was either a case of ignorance or deliberate decept...

Time to get serious on delivering for families

The Green Party calls on the Government to get serious about supporting families.

Story

Covid Inquiry report underlines need to invest in Health

The Green Party says the report from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 Response underlines the need for proper investment in our he...

End of free RAT tests means more exposure to virus

The end of free Rapid Antigen Tests today is another sign the Government is giving up on the challenge of protecting the community from Covid-19.

Greens stand in solidarity with Buller community

The Green Party stands in solidarity with the Buller community in its silent protest for better healthcare.

A step forward on cancer drug funding but more to do

The Green Party welcomes the announcement of more funding for cancer treatments and medicines, however, calls for more to be done to address the se...

Scrapping Māori Health Authority tramples over Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Green Party condemns the Government’s latest trashing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in rushing through legislation, without any public input, that wi...

Cruel move to put tobacco profit over people’s health

Sacrificing the health of our rangatahi to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy few is a deeply cynical move and shows this Government is more influenc...

Story

Government gets it right on COVID settings

Maintaining the current COVID-19 isolation requirement is the right decision, the Green Party says.

Summer COVID plan needed

The Green Party has been left wondering if the Government signed off for the summer break before putting in place a COVID plan.

COVID inquiry disappointingly narrow

The Green Party welcomes a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic – but is disappointed with the narrow scope.

Lasting public health measures needed for COVID response ahead of future waves

Winding down COVID powers does nothing to change the fact that stronger public health measures are needed to protect our immunocompromised and disa...

Vital public health measures still missing from COVID response

Strong public health measures are more vital than ever, the Green Party says as the Government removes many longstanding COVID-19 restrictions.

Better long-term planning needed for COVID

COVID-19 is here to stay and so the Government needs to put in place long-term protection measures, including mandatory ventilation standards, the ...