General Practice New Zealand has urged its members to report "anti-vax" doctors to the New Zealand Medical Council amid a continued push for greater Covid-19 vaccine uptake.
As of 11.59pm on October 10, 82 per cent of the eligible population has received one dose of the vaccine, while 57 per cent are fully vaccinated.
"Without high levels of vaccination our health system will be overwhelmed. People will die, not just from Covid-19, but from other conditions that go untreated because of the number of people with the virus," GPNZ chairman and Karori GP, Dr Jeff Lowe, said in a media release.
"It is the duty of health providers to protect our population."
Lowe advised Primary Health Organisation CEOs to "notify the relevant professional regulatory body of any circumstances where clinicians in their networks seek to undermine vaccination efforts or promote 'anti-vax' information".
GPNZ also endorsed the Government’s ‘Super Saturday’ campaign, and PHOs will be supporting practices to open on Saturday, October 16 to offer vaccines and vaccine information in their local communities.
"We fully support every initiative that will maximise vaccination uptake to protect our people and our health services," Lowe said.
"The majority of cases in the future are likely to be managed in primary care and high vaccine rates will avoid general practice – which is already under pressure - from being overwhelmed."
He added that health professionals are working alongside providers and community leaders to reach out to people who are vaccine hesitant "as quickly as possible".
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