Data from the Ministry of Health shows almost 130,000 people in Counties Manukau haven’t received a booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Figures released on Thursday show just 66.1 per cent of people in the area who are 18 years and over have received a booster – a lower proportion than other district health boards in the Auckland region.
It compares to 69.9 per cent who have received a third jab in Waitemata and 71.9 per cent in the Auckland DHB area.
Currently, boosters are only available for those 18 years and over, but the Ministry of Health is awaiting advice from the Covid Vaccine Technical Advisory Group (CVTAG) on a roll-out for those 12 and up.
While two doses of vaccine helps protect people against severe illness from the Delta Covid-19 variant, a booster dose is required to reach similar protection against Omicron.
University of Auckland epidemiologist Rod Jackson said increasing the numbers of people who have received their booster shots in South Auckland is vital to stop the spread of Omicron.
“We’re talking about the most deprived DHB in the country with a high-risk population, with high levels of overcrowding and a large Māori and Pasifika population,” Jackson said.
He said encouraging people to get boosted should be given a higher priority.
“I think boosters are more important than ever because Covid-19 is so rife in the community and we need to do everything we can to slow it down,” Jackson said.
“At this stage, the majority of Kiwis haven’t received Omicron and there are huge benefits in getting boosted. It’s a bit like déjà vu, because a lot of people in South Auckland were slow to get vaccinated in the first place.”
But he said people need to do their bit and get a booster dose.
GP Dr Matire Harwood works for the Papakura Marae Health Clinic and has been working tirelessly on the front line of the public health response to Covid-19.
She said there are a number of factors driving the statistics, including the higher numbers of people who have already tested positive for the virus in Counties Manukau since last year’s Delta outbreak.
“People who have been infected are told to wait to get additional vaccine doses,” she said.
If someone has contracted Covid-19 and they have only had two vaccine doses, the Ministry of Health recommends waiting about four weeks post-recovery to get boosted.
While Harwood said the fact healthcare workers on the frontline in South Auckland have been dealing with such large numbers of people with Covid-19 means, in some cases, vaccinations have taken a back seat.
“We’ve been so focused on responding to the high infection levels and we haven’t been pushing the boosters. We’ve been trying to manage the acute cases in front of us.”
Anyone aged 18 or older, who has had two doses of Covid-19 vaccine at least three months ago, is urged to get a free booster to help protect themselves, their whānau and the wider community.
The Northern Region Health Co-ordination Centre (NRHCC), which is managing the pandemic response for Auckland’s district health boards, was approached for comment.
