5. Question No. 5—COVID-19 ResponseDr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour—Banks Peninsula) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 5—COVID-19 Response5. Dr TRACEY McLELLAN (Labour—Banks Peninsula) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Xiexie Mr Speaker. What recent progress has been made on New Zealand's COVID-19 vaccine programme across regions?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): Yesterday 44000 doses were administered across the country meaning that 78 percent of the eligible 12-plus New Zealand population now have their first shot. Significantly we're also seeing real growth in second doses and consequently full vaccinations. In the last seven days the number of Kiwis who have had their second doses has increased by almost 200000 to 1.8 million—around 44 percent of the eligible population and we're zooming towards half of the eligible population being fully vaccinated. I can't overstate the importance of those 1.8 million people now being fully vaccinated. It's a hugely significant step forward for the ongoing protection of New Zealand.Dr Emily Henderson: How is the vaccine programme progressing across the Northland region particularly for different age bands?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The data that I have is 1292000 people across the Northland and Auckland metro region have received at least one dose of the vaccine representing 81 percent of the eligible community and 747429 of those have received both doses and are now fully vaccinated. We are seeing really positive numbers particularly from the 65-and-over age cohort in the north: over 235000 representing 91 percent of the over-65s have had their first dose and 210000 or 82 percent are fully vaccinated.Sarah Pallett: How is the vaccine programme progressing along the southern regions particularly for ethnic communities?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Mr Speaker 768000 people across—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. Some of us want to hear the answer to this and I don't know whether it's because the member's mask's slipping but he is getting pretty loud. It is a serious question and deserves the House listening to it rather than ridiculing it.Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Mr Speaker 768000 people across the South Island have had their first dose. That represents 78 percent of the eligible community in the South Island; 439577 of those individuals are now fully immunised. Eighty percent of eligible Pacific people across the southern district health boards (DHBs) have had at least their first dose 47 percent their second; 59 percent of eligible Māori have had one dose and 31 percent have had both.Barbara Edmonds: How are the Midland and MidCentral regions progressing with the roll-out of the vaccine programme and what innovative steps are being taken to attract more Kiwis to be vaccinated?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Some good news: I can say that Capital and Coast and Hutt Valley DHBs currently top the table in terms of vaccines delivered across the country and 1.2 million people across the North Island south of Auckland have had their first dose with 677778 now fully vaccinated. We've seen steps taken by a number of DHBs to help get people out to be vaccinated including drive-throughs pop-ups mobile clinics and household vaccinations. Education teams and door knockers have partnered with mobile vaccination teams. We've seen the targeting of rangatahi through high-concentration areas including things like touch rugby softball kapa haka and so on in having vaccination available through those sorts of events. Many also will have heard about the now-famous bacon sandwich offered by the Taranaki DHB which has attracted hundreds of locals to be vaccinated and I understand the DHB doubled down on this today by offering a second helping of bacon butties at their vaccination site alongside granola on the menu. I'm not sure that would drag that many people in for their vaccinations but all ideas are on the table when it comes to getting people out and getting them vaccinated and I thank all those working behind the scenes to make that happen.