7. Question No. 7—COVID-19 ResponseCHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 ResponseQuestion No. 7—COVID-19 Response7. CHRIS BISHOP (National) to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What percentage of the eligible population in New Zealand had received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as at 7 August 2021 and what modelling if any has he seen relating to how the level of vaccination coverage could affect the severity of COVID-19 restrictions?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister for COVID-19 Response): As at 7 August 2021 19 percent of those aged 12 and over had received two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine; 33 percent had received at least their first dose. We've seen an extraordinary uptake of vaccination since everyone aged 12 and over became eligible to book a vaccine. To date more than 4762000 doses have been administered. Approximately 39 percent of the eligible population are now fully vaccinated and approximately 74 percent have received their first dose. I've received a range of advice that emphasises the importance of widespread vaccination in preventing the spread of COVID-19 which in turn reduces the need for restrictions. That's why right now we're encouraging all New Zealanders to come forward and be vaccinated.Chris Bishop: Why did New Zealand only have 19 percent of the eligible population of the 12-plus population with double vaccination at 7 August?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: A range of factors but the most notable of course was supply.Chris Bishop: Has he seen any modelling or advice from officials indicating that if New Zealand had had even 50 percent vaccination coverage in August as opposed to what happened which was less than 20 percent the most recent lockdown could have been shorter and more regional?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No not necessarily. One of the things that we need to think about when we are talking about vaccination rates is actually a focus on the unvaccinated population and the characteristics of the unvaccinated population. What we've seen from around the world is that COVID-19 hunts out those parts of the community that are unvaccinated. They tend to be lower socio-economic areas. They tend to be people who are more susceptible to COVID-19 and an adverse health outcome from that. So setting an arbitrary target for example around vaccination isn't actually the ultimate answer here. We want to get everybody vaccinated.Chris Bishop: So is he saying firstly that he hasn't seen or secondly that he doesn't agree with the paper from Shaun Hendy on 30 June that shows that a 50 percent vaccination rate compared to a 30 percent vaccination rate halves the length of time lockdowns are required for?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Again the member didn't listen to the last answer that I gave. Yes I've seen a whole variety of different models but let's talk about this current outbreak. This current outbreak is disproportionately skewed to young people a significant proportion of whom are not currently eligible for the vaccine.Chris Bishop: Does he agree with the Prime Minister's comments from February in relation to the vaccine roll-out that We're not in a race to be first" and does he now accept that if we hadn't been the slowest in the OECD for most of this year we'd be in a better position now?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No I utterly reject the assertion in the member's question along with all of the other assertions that he has made like we were going to run out of vaccines we didn't have enough syringes we didn't have enough vaccinators the booking system was going to fail and we weren't going to be able to deliver 50000 vaccines a day. Instead of undermining the vaccine campaign perhaps he should get behind it.Chris Bishop: Does he agree with the Prime Minister and other Ministers who have said words to the effect of "It doesn't matter how fast our vaccine roll-out is because other countries need it more" and does he think that the Aucklanders who are now enduring the longest lockdown in New Zealand history might be reflecting negatively on those comments?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: What I do agree with is that the member should stop spreading misinformation. That is not what any Minister in this Government has said. I would say to any New Zealander listening to him that they should think twice about any of the statements he makes because most of them don't stack up."