Covid-19 analyst Dr Rawiri Taonui. says Auckland District Health board members who got the coronavirus vaccine last week are "queue jumpers".
There has been widespread condemnation and calls for resignation after the chair of the Auckland district health board admitted he and several board members received a Covid-19 vaccination, as frontline workers continue to wait in the queue.
This incident comes after increasing concern over the Covid-19 vaccine rollout - Taonui one of its biggest critics.
“A couple of the board members are probably entitled to the vaccination as some of them are on the front line there in South Auckland."
"But the others, it's queue jumping,” Taonui says.
He says there is a pattern emerging with the way the vaccine rollout has been occurring, internationally, and at a local level.
“What we are seeing is a level of privilege and entitlement applying where richer countries are getting vaccinated and poorer countries are not.
“And then internally, we are seeing different members of elite groups moving up the cue and taking vaccines …. It's very disappointing,” he says.