Figures from the Ministry of Health from January show that people accessing mental health and addiction services have lower rates of full vaccination than people in the general population.
People accessing addiction support services have 19% lower COVID-19 vaccination rates than the general population, and mental health service users have 9% lower rates than the general population .
For Maori, those numbers are lower: Addiction service users have 26% lower Covid-19 vaccination rates than the general population, and Maori mental health service users have Covid-19 vaccination rates 19 17% lower than the general population.
Commission chairman Hayden Wano said that showed some people accessing those services were falling behind at launch.
“People who use mental health and addiction services are more likely to be exposed to the virus and, if exposed, are more likely to become seriously ill,” Wano said.
“We know that this is due in part to the circumstances people find themselves in, such as poor access to adequate housing and a lack of available community support.”
The Delta outbreak gripped the most marginalized communities, including people suffering from mental health issues, addictions, and those living in transitional housing.
In mid-December, when the first case of the Omicron variant in managed isolation was reported, figures from the Tūtohi data platform showed that only 72 percent of people accessing mental health or addiction services were fully vaccinated. against covid-19.
Wano said that the same mistakes could not be repeated and this time, a community-focused approach was the way to go.
“We cannot speak highly enough about the specific efforts of Maori and Pacific community providers, as well as other service providers and churches, that have contributed to a dramatic shift in Maori and Pacific community vaccination rates.” “, He said.
“This is the kind of targeted approach that is needed to ensure that people experiencing mental distress and those experiencing addiction have equitable and timely access to vaccination.
“These groups require active participation, and in many cases the best parties to do that are community-led service providers.”
Wano said there were likely several factors behind the lower vaccination rates among people accessing mental health and addiction support services, but he believed it was more likely that access, a level of hesitancy and a lack of trust were the main issues, rather than people being anti-vaccine.
“We know that populations like Maori and Pacific peoples regularly experience exclusion and racism,” Wano said.
“We know that these are factors in their mental health challenges.”
Wano said vaccination was a welfare issue and if some people found themselves outside the vaccination mainstream once again, it would further damage their sense of well-being.
