Anti-vax talk leaves pēpi vulnerable

A west Auckland GP says anti-vaxers are contributing to dangerously low vaccination rates among Māori for diseases like measles and whooping cough.

A west Auckland GP says anti-vaxxers are contributing to dangerously low vaccination rates among Māori for diseases like measles and whooping cough.

Dr Mamaeroa David, who’s also a medical adviser at the University of Auckland’s Immunisation Advisory Centre, says Covid exposed gaps in the health system that already existed.

GPs are overwhelmed, and it can be hard for whānau to register pēpi with a practice or develop the relationships they need with health providers.

“I think anti-vax messaging has been around and that has really impacted our whānau, especially our vulnerable whānau. Our mokopuna are precious and our pepe are precious and we really want to do the best for them so when someone plants the seed of doubt about the safety of a vaccination, that can have a massive impact on whether or not our whānau choose to vaccinate their pepe,” Dr David says.

She says for some whānau the Covid vaccination mandates became an issue of mana motuhake and tino rangatiratanga, and that hurt the trust in health services.