A new study analysing COVID-19 vaccine uptake has found markedly lower vaccination rates among Māori, which researchers link to existing inequities in healthcare access.
The study looked at vaccination rates from December 2020 to May 2023, finding 28.4 percent of Māori were unvaccinated during this period, compared with 14.7 percent of non-Māori.
“Based on these numbers, we estimate 78,880 fewer Māori were fully vaccinated than would have been the case if vaccination rates were the same for both groups,” said Dr James Mbinta, lead author of the study and a research fellow at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
The study also found marked differences in rates of partial vaccination, with Māori more likely to receive only the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and not go on to get the second dose.
Enrolment in a primary health organisation (PHO) was flagged as a key factor influencing whether Māori received at least one dose of the vaccine. The study also found those living in lower-income households and in lower-quality and crowded housing were less likely to be vaccinated.
“For Māori, the likelihood of being partially or fully vaccinated was higher among those enrolled in a PHO. This highlights the need for vaccination strategies that include improving PHO enrolment, especially for populations that have a known higher risk of severe health outcomes from COVID-19,” said co-author Andrew Sporle (Ngāti Apa, Rangitāne, Te Rarawa), an honorary academic in the Department of Statistics at Auckland University and managing director of research firm iNZight Analytics.
Previous research has shown Māori have higher rates of both hospitalisation and death from COVID-19 compared with the general population.
“Our findings highlight the crucial need to ensure vulnerable populations can access healthcare. Targeted approaches, using evidence from data generated by rigorous studies such as this, are needed to address health disparities and ensure equitable access to healthcare resources,” said co-author Professor Colin Simpson, a senior adviser in the School of Health at Te Herenga Waka and professor in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Auckland University.
Results of the study are published in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. The research was funded by the Ministry of Health.