Figures show the Covid-19 vaccination rate for Māori is far behind that of the general population.
Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson says the low numbers of Covid-19 vaccination among Māori are disappointing, but getting better.
Jackson told the government has some responsibility but he’s calling on the community to step up.
“We haven’t failed... We could have done better... but you learn as you go along. Also you’re not comparing apples with apples. You’ve got a real resistance sadly amongst some the young ones.
“But I accept the government has to take the major responsibility. Without doubt, we’ve got the resources, we’ve got the funding. But I’m challenging our people also to step up. We need whānau to step up. We can’t do this on our own. We can’t go into the houses.”
Jackson said he cannot guarantee Māori vaccination numbers will get up to 90 percent in the next few weeks, “but we will strive to get it as high as we can”.
“I can only guarantee a huge effort that is being rolled out.”
