National has analysed the DHB vaccination numbers against their populations and it turns out the ‘targets’ DHBs are using to track their progress are essentially meaningless, National’s Covid-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop says.

“Of the nine DHBs below the national average for the first vaccine dose administered, seven of those are still ahead of the plans they submitted to the Ministry of Health.

“Taranaki DHB is coming last nationally but has administered 4381 more doses than planned, technically putting it 130 per cent ahead of its plan. Clearly the target it set was pathetically low.

“Capital & Coast and Hutt Valley DHBs are classic examples having administered 10,179 more doses than planned, putting both 112 per cent ahead of their targets even though Capital & Coast is ranked 18th and Hutt Valley is ranked 15th.

“If all DHBs were on target and following their ‘plans’ instead of exceeding them, we would be even further behind in our vaccine roll out than we currently are.

“Ironically though, West Coast DHB which has vaccinated more of its population than any other DHB is technically lagging behind on its plan, at only 96 per cent.

“If Kiwis look only at the targets DHBs have set themselves then it looks like our vaccine roll out is tracking well. But in reality that isn’t the case.

“Our vaccine roll out is excruciatingly slow and chaotic. We’re the slowest in the developed world, more than 1000 port workers are still unvaccinated, half of our DHBs don’t know who has been vaccinated, and now we’re hearing Group 4 is being invited to book a vaccine when vaccinating Group 3 has barely begun.

“We should be setting ambitious targets and meeting them. Targets are an important tool to meaningfully track our progress and keep our health system focused.

“Instead it looks as though DHBs deliberately chose pathetic targets so they were easily met and it would appear as though our roll out is moving quicker than it actually is.”

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