Māori, Pacific booster age 40

The age of eligibility for second Covid-19 boosters is being reduced from 50 to 40 for Māori and Pacific people, health officials have announced.

Deputy director-general and lead of the Public Health Agency Dr Andrew Old, Ministry of Health chief science adviser Dr Ian Town and Te Whatu Ora interim national medical director Dr Pete Watson held a press briefing yesterday.

Town said ‘‘clear evidence’’ showed the risk of death from Covid-19 for Māori and Pacific peoples was around twice that of the general population.