Health board member posts misinformation
A Gisborne health board member has been reprimanded after posting misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccine on social media.
Hauora Tairāwhiti board member Meredith Akuhatabrown, who is also a Gisborne district councillor, said New Zealanders were being asked to take a vaccine that had not been “effectively trialled” or “met any real Medsafe approval”.
Medsafe approved the Pfizer Biontech Covid-19 vaccine before it was signed off for use by Cabinet on February 10.
Associate Health Minister Peeni Henare wasn’t impressed.
“I am disappointed because we know that as a Government and as a health system we’ve got a job to work with our communities in respect to Covid-19 as well as the vaccine,” he said.
“The questions that people have are relevant, and we’re able to answer them, so to have speculation in our community isn’t helpful when we’re trying to give correct information.”
Hauora Tairāwhiti chair Kim Ngarimu said she was disappointed to see this sentiment expressed by a board member. She had discussed it with Akuhata-brown.
“The post most definitely does not reflect the DHB’S position,” Ngarimu said.
The health board in October last year reported that misinformation and rumours about vaccinations were affecting Tairāwhiti’s immunisation rates.
Akuhata-brown told Local Democracy Reporting the post was intended to question why the world could react with such swiftness to the Covid-19 pandemic, and “push aside” other issues such as homelessness and poverty.
“My challenge to this space is, is this all about money again?”
Akuhata-brown said she was not posting as an elected member of the health board or council, despite it being made from a public page called “Meredith Akuhata Brown for Participatory Democracy”.