Auckland is the second District Health Board to reach 90 per cent of Māori fully vaccinated
The Capital and Coast DHB became the first on January 13, covering Wellington, Porirua and Kāpiti.
The Ministry of Health on Wednesday confirmed the Auckland DHB had met the target.
“This is an opportunity to recognise the mahi of Māori providers who have worked hard alongside local DHBs to lift Māori vaccination rates across the motu,” MOH said in a statement.
Read more: Fear Māori will suffer most from Omicron outbreak
South Canterbury has become the ninth DHB area to vaccinate 90 per cent of Māori with a first dose.
Several other DHBs are also getting “very close” to that milestone, the Health Ministry said, with Canterbury not far away from reaching the double vaccinated target.
Māori vaccination rates have been below that of the general population, with the rollout for Māori drawing criticism from community leaders and health experts.
Many believed the Government's rollout had failed Māori, by prioritising the elderly first.
Waitangi Tribunal finds Govt Covid response actively breached Treaty
Criticisms came to a head in December, when the Waitangi Tribunal held an urgent inquiry into the Government's vaccination strategy and whether its Covid-19 Protection Framework was consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
The Tribunal found the Crown’s response to Covid-19 actively breached the Treaty, and “Māori were put at a disproportionate risk of being infected by Delta” than other groups.
SHARE ME